BTDTL Vol 8: The Magic of Five
by AndrewK9000
Summary: Sora and the gang to go Metamore to help The Guardians of the Veil defeat the vile Phobos and save Elyon. But the Hakonians are also on Metamore, as is an ancient evil beyond anything our heroes could have imagined. Who will survive?
1. Chapter 1: The Oracle of Kandracar

Greetings fellow readers and writers! This is my eighth Kingdom hearts volume and I hope you like it! Okay, this time around, Sora and the gang will visit the universe of W.I.T.C.H., one of the most awesome non-anime cartoons I've ever seen. This story also contains elements and the main character of the anime Ranma ½.

As many of my regular readers know, I've done several W.I.T.C.H. fics, (Of Ninjas and Pirates, Heart of the Cards, Fullmetal WITCH, Kurse of the Krawl and Heart of the Cards 2: Tournament of Souls) all of them pretty good. But the first three were written when I was still starting out as a writer, so the grammar and editing are somewhat below par, to put it mildly. Eventually I'll get around to rewriting those fics without any editing mistakes at all and with revamped plots to include the proper Naruto elements and characters so it'll fit with the manga, so keep your eyes open.

Also in this fic are elements of one of the best Horror books I've ever read, the Necroscope series, which is totally awesome.

Anyway, about this fic…

Time wise, this fic takes place about a month after my last Kingdom Hearts story, The Tournament of Light, while at the same time taking pace just before the last episode of season 1 of W.I.T.C.H.

Now I don't own either Kingdom Hearts, W.I.T.C.H, Ranma ½ or Necroscope, so please don't sue me, I'm just trying to tell a good story. What I do own are the original Heroes and Villains in this story. I'll admit that I've changed a few things here and there in the W.I.T.C.H. storyline so this story would work out in my mind. If you don't like it, you don't have to read it, but remember, **THIS IS FANFICTION!**

And now, without further delay, please enjoy…

**Kingdom Hearts: Beyond the Door to Light**

**Volume 8: The Magic of Five**

**By AndrewK9000**

**Chapter 1: The Oracle of Kandracar**

"I wonder what's got The King so anxious?" Kairi asked as she and Sora hurried over to Riku's house.

"Whatever it is," said Sora, "it won't be good."

It's been a month since Sora, Riku, Kairi and Aiden journeyed to America to compete in The Tournament of Light, a grand martial arts event in which young fighters from all over the world competed to be the best.

After a horrendous training regime, put together by one Nodoka Saotome, whom was the woman who originally taught Sora and Riku swordsmanship, our heroes made it through the preliminary rounds of the tournament and found themselves among the best martial artists in their age group. Only Aiden failed to make it to the top 32 due to a mishap in his last prelim match.

Sora, Riku, Kairi and Aiden had made several friends among their fellow tournament competitors; among which was the son of Nodoka, Ranma, a genius in martial arts who was carrying a highly unfair burden of suffering, the least of which was being stuck with an abusive, uncute tomboy of a fiancée. There's also the fact that Ranma was cursed so that cold water turned him into a girl, while hot water reversed the curse.

Aside from meeting Ranma, and all his rival's for his affection and his life, our heroes also met several other martial artists whom they had become fast friends.

On another note, Sora and the others met Kairi's pen pal, one Miley Stewart, who was also teen pop superstar Hannah Montana.

After one wild and crazy tournament, which ended without a winner due to interference from Hades and Ursula, Sora and the others returned home having helped Ranma get a grip on his life, while also knocking some long-overdue sense into Ranma's many fiancées and rivals.

At the same time it was revealed to our heroes that Miley was Hannah. At nearly the same time, we learned that Miley was the third Princess of Heart, having the power to bring light into people's hearts. Where there was rage, fear, despair and hate, Miley would bring serenity, courage, hope and love.

As if this wasn't good enough, our heroes asked Ranma if he'd like to go with them while he figured out what to do with his new-found independence. Sora, Riku, Kairi and Aiden took Ranma to Disney Castle and introduced him to King Mickey and Queen Minnie, and the meeting went rather well.

So well that Ranma asked to stay at Disney Castle and get used to being on other worlds. That was just about a month ago, and now it seems a new adventure is about to unfold for our heroes.

Sora and Kairi reached Riku's house, where he was waiting on the front porch with a message from The King.

"What's the scoop this time?" Kairi asked.

"It just says to come to the castle as soon as possible," said Riku, "where's Aiden?"

"Right here!" shouted Aiden as he ran up to the porch, "sorry it took me so long, I was house hunting."

"Still no luck finding your own place?" Kairi asked.

"Struck out again," said a dissapointed Aiden as he held up a small house-buying book that had several pages crossed out with black X's, "I have all the money I need, I just haven't found the right place for me."

"You'll find it someday," said Sora, "until then you're still welcome at my house."

"I know," said Aiden, "I just don't want to become a permanent part of your family, nothing personal mind you."

"No offense taken," said Sora, "so, are we ready to go?" He then summoned his Keyblade.

"Ready," said Riku as he summoned his Keyblade.

"Willing," said Kairi as she summoned her Keyblade.

"And able," said Aiden as he summoned his Keyblade.

The four Keyblade Wielders then combined their powers and opened a portal to Disney Castle that exited in the vast throne room. As soon as they were all through, the portal closed up behind them.

Though Sora was prepared for it, he was still bowled over when Pluto bounded up, tackled him and began licking him affectionately.

"Like clockwork," said Riku. As if his words were a signal, Pluto then turned his affections on Riku, then on Kairi and then to Aiden.

Just then Queen Minnie walked over, "it's good that you all came quickly, but I'll admit that we expected you a bit later."

"When The King says to come, we come," said Riku as he, Sora, Kairi and Aiden bowed.

"Still," said Queen Minnie, "The King wasn't expecting you for another half hour. He's in the training hall with Ranma as we speak."

"What training hall?" Sora asked.

"You'll see," said Queen Minnie. She then beckoned our heroes to follow her out of the throne room to the hallway, where a new door lay halfway between the throne room and the library.

"That wasn't here the last time we were here," said Kairi.

"It was just finished this morning," said The Queen as she opened the door. Our heroes followed her inside and found themselves on the balcony of a vast, room styled after a Japanese dojo.

At the edge of the balcony was Donald and Goofy, and with them was Chip, Dale and Jiminy Cricket.

"Hey, guys!" said Sora.

"Sora!" exclaimed Donald, goofy, Chip, Dale and Jiminy.

"What's all of this?" Riku asked.

"It was Ranma's idea," said Donald.

"He asked The King of they could build some place where he could work out," said Goofy, "and The King said 'why not?'"

"And this is the end result," said Jiminy.

"It's nice," said an impressed Aiden. He then looked at the three small creatures, "and who are you."

"Cricket's the name, Jiminy Cricket."

"He's the guy who went with Donald, Goofy and me on our travels," said Sora, "he recorded all of our adventures in his journal. Oh, Jiminy!" Sora then used his magic to summon his notebook from his house, "I just finished my notes on everything that's happened since we first got back home. It think this will fill a lot of empty pages in your notebook."

Sora then shrunk the notebook and handed it to Jiminy.

"Thanks," said Jiminy as he took the shrunken notebook and began reading it, "this really will help."

"And who are these critters?" Aiden asked.

"We're Chip and Dale!" said the two chipmunks.

"They helped take care of the Gummy ship on our travels," said Sora.

"Look," said Kairi as she pointed at the floor below, "they're sparing."

Sora and the others looked and saw that Ranma and King Mickey were having a practice match, but it was clear that the two of them were giving this practice bout their all. The King had the edge on speed and maneuverability as he jumped and dodged all of Ranma's attacks, but Ranma had the edge on offensive and defensive power as he blocked all of The King's attacks, then countered with punches and kicks that were strong enough to hit The King with the air displacement alone.

"I almost forgot how good The King is," said Sora as he watched King Mickey block one of Ranma's wind punches with his gold Keyblade.

"And Ranma's just as powerful," said Riku, "so this is what Andrew Callahan was talking about; using one's full potential in a fight." Riku then sighed, "I'm positive that Ranma would have won the tournament."

"Don't count yourself out so easily," said Aiden, "believe me when I say you're no slouch."

"No," said Riku, "I'm convinced that if Hades and Ursula hadn't ruined things, Ranma would have beaten me."

"Well I'm glad he beat me the way he did," said Sora as he watched the fight, "the way Ranma's going at it now, if I was facing him now, I'd be toast."

"Now you're counting yourself out to easily," said Kairi, "you think Ranma's tough? He's got nothing on you."

"Yeah," said a grinning Sora, "I'd like to see Ranma spend a year asleep so he could get his memories back."

_:I said I was sorry,:_ said Naminé, _:I apologized dozens of times. What else do you want?:_

_:Just ignore him,: _said Roxas.

_:I can hear you, you know,: _said Sora.

_:Sorry,: _said Roxas.

"Apology accepted," said Sora out loud.

"That's really getting annoying," said Aiden.

"He knows it annoys you," said Riku.

Just then Chip spoke up, "Oh, Sora! Cid wanted to tell you that he's almost finished with the new Gummy Ship and will bring it over soon."

"He says he hopes that you'll appreciate all his hard work," said Dale.

"A new Gummy Ship?" Sora asked.

"That's right," said Donald, "we've got a new Gummy Ship coming."

"An' it's sure pretty!" said Goofy, "wait till you see her!"

"But what about the old one?" Sora asked.

"Cid said that she was a lost cause," said Chip.

"That old ship had so many broken parts it's a wonder she didn't fall apart," said Dale.

"I'm sorry, Sora," said Queen Minnie, "but it seems your old ship has been scrapped."

"Oh," said a slightly depressed Sora, "I really liked that ship."

"I'm sure she was a strong, reliable boat," said Kairi.

"Still, all boats have their time," said Riku.

"But wait till you see the new one Cid's building!" said an excited Chip.

"Cid said it'd be his best work yet!" said Dale.

Just then the match below ended in a tie. Ranma struck a blow that, had this been a real match, would have knocked The King unconscious, while at the same time, The King struck Ranma on the head with his gold Keyblade.

"They're even," said an amazed Kairi.

"No," said Riku, "not exactly. Even though they were trying their best, this was still a practice match. Had this been for real, they would have truly shown each other what they were made of."

"I won't argue with that," said Sora.

They all then went down to the training floor where Ranma and King Mickey were congratulating each other for a good practice session.

"You're awesome, your majesty," said Ranma.

"And you're extraordinary, Ranma," said The King, "this was a really good idea, building a training hall in the castle."

"Just something I thought would make fighting the darkness a little easier," said Ranma, "also something to help keep me busy."

"How are you, really?" Sora asked.

"I'm…adjusting," said Ranma in a slightly unsure tone, "I'm still getting used to the idea of being on another world. I mean, sometimes I feel like I'm in the middle of some crazy dream, and I'm gonna wake up any second and be back at the Tendo Dojo next to my no-good dad, and that in the morning I'll argue with Akane as usual and have to deal with all the other craziness of my life."

"I promise you that this isn't a dream," said Aiden, "and the whole mess with irresponsible parents, your ill-tempered fiancée and all the other fiancée's and rivals, that's over and done."

"Now if we can just get rid of that other bit of craziness," said Kairi. He looked at The King, "any luck finding a curse for Ranma's curse?"

"Sorry, no," said King Mickey, "I've looked through every book on magic in the castle library. I've consulted with Merlin and Yen Sid and none of us have any idea to remove the curse, not without seriously hurting Ranma in the process."

"Yeah, about that," said Ranma, "I've sort of accepted the curse for the time being. I mean, I'm just grateful to finally have my life to myself, and if still being cursed is the price to pay for my freedom, then I'm okay with it."

"Nothing is free in life," said Aiden, "the same principle that governs Alchemy and economics governs magic as well. Equivalent Exchange; 'to obtain, something of equal value must be lost.'"

"You still think you can't go home until we find all seven Princesses of Heart?" Sora asked, "I thought you were over that."

"How can I possibly 'get over' one of the must fundamental principles of existence?" Aiden asked, "if we end up returning to The State because of our mission as Keyblade Wielders, I'll go with a willing heart. But if I was offered to go home right this moment, just to visit and see old friends, then it wouldn't feel right to do that."

"Well we're going to have to go back to your home world sooner or later," said Riku, "we left without finding that world's Keyhole. It's only a matter of time before the enemy tries to invade that world again."

"And we'll have to go back to the world where we met Luffy and his crew," said Kairi, "if only to seal that Keyhole as well."

"I wonder how all our friends are doing?" Sora asked.

"I'm sure you'll get your chance soon," said The King as an enchanted broomstick handed him a glass of cold water, "As soon as we make sure things are alright in this universe, we'll all go to the other universes. I'd like to see all the places you've been and meet all the friends you made."

"That'd be awesome!" said Sora. "we could visit Naruto and the others in The Hidden Leaf Village, and go right to The State afterwards."

"We could go back to Alfea and see how Bloom and The Winx are," said Kairi, "and then to Dream Valley to check in on Sara, her friends and The Little Ponies."

"We could also go to that other Tokyo," said Aiden, "and see Usagi and the other Sailor Senshi."

"And let's not forget about this universe," said Riku.

"Yeah," said Sora, "all our friends across the worlds, we'll go see them all."

"Mind taking this one world at a time?" Ranma asked, "I'm still the new guy here."

"That's right!" said a grinning Aiden, "I'm no longer the new guy!"

"Correction," said Riku, "you're still the newest Keyblade Wielder. Ranma's the new Hero."

"Don't 'cha mean Junior Heroes?" Goofy asked.

"Don't you start that again!" said Donald.

Just then the glass of cold water The King had been drinking from slipped out of his hands and the water splashed Ranma, turning him into Ranma-chan in the blink of an eye.

"I stand corrected," said a grinning Aiden, "Ranma's the new girl!"

"Very funny," said an annoyed Ranma-chan.

"You're all heroes in my book," said King Mickey as he ordered an enchanted broomstick to fetch some hot water, "and before we all start on something else, there's the situation I wanted to talk to you about."

"So, what's the emergency?" Sora asked as everyone followed The King out of the training hall, down the corridor and into the library.

"It's not a full emergency," said The King as he went to the table and picked up a small stack of photographs, "not yet. But it will become direly serious if something isn't done."

"We're confined that the enemy is preparing to launch a new campaign of evil across the worlds," said Queen Minnie.

"Figures," said Ranma-chan. Just then the enchanted broomstick arrived with a kettle of hot water and splashed her with it, turning her back into Ranma, "I can't wait to find a frigging cure."

"We're working on it," said The Queen as she ordered the enchanted broomstick to fetch some towels.

"We know that Maleficent is up to something," said King Mickey, "that she has a plan, but we don't know for sure what world she will attack first or when the attack will come. What we do know is that she's building up her forces for a massive attack. Maleficent is gathering Heartless in the hundreds of thousands. The streets of The World that Never Was are swarming with them."

The King then showed our heroes the photographs of The World that Never Was. The photos were satellite images that revealed massive amounts of Heartless choking the city around New Hollow Bastion.

"And what's worse," said The King, "we have reason to believe that the enemy has figured out how to control Nobodies."

"Guess it was only a matter of time," said Riku as he crossed his arms.

"I've never fought Nobodies before," said Aiden, "are they really that bad?"

"They're stronger and smarter than Heartless," said Kairi, "yeah, they're that bad."

"If Maleficent can get an army of Nobodies like the one Organization XIII had," said Sora, "and get them to get along with a huge army of Heartless, then we're really in trouble."

"But not just yet," said Queen Minnie, "we still don't know what the enemy's overall plan is, or when or where they will strike first. But we do have an advanced warning in place."

"A while ago we placed several spying constructs around The World that Never Was," said King Mickey, "That's how we've been getting these images; they've been sending us pictures of the number of Heartless Maleficent has, and we managed to get a few looks inside the enemy castle." The King then passed several photographs to Sora and the others.

"Maleficent has been busy," said Riku as he looked at one picture showing throngs of Heartless around New Hollow Bastion.

"You'd think she'd at least change the interior lighting," said Kairi as she saw one picture of the inside of the castle, "it's still bright on the inside. You'd think a Villian like Maleficent would make things more dark."

"The enemy base does have it's dark areas," said The King, "those are the places we haven't seen yet, but we did get this." He handed Riku a picture of a Moogle wearing a black coat working on Synthesizing something. Also in the picture was Reddik and Rakel.

"Those two are still in Maleficent's good graces," said Kairi.

"And the other two," said Riku, "Erika and Konrad, I'll bet they're still working for the enemy as well."

"But what about that Moogle?" Sora asked, "why would he work for Maleficent? I thought they were on our side."

Just then Roxas popped outside of Sora's body, startling everyone, "hey, I know that guy! He used to work for The Organization!"

"Don't do that!" exclaimed Aiden, "gods! Are you trying to give me a heart attack!"

"Sorry," said Roxas, "I'm just enjoying as much time in the flesh as I can."

"Same with me," said Naminé as she appeared next to Kairi. "Anyway, The Moogles aren't evil, or good as we know the two terms. They're creatures of business and they go to where there's munny to be made."

"In that case," said Sora, "if Maleficent now has what she needs to control Nobodies, then we'll just have to try harder and find a way to stop The Heartless, Nobodies and all the other dark forces."

"And how are we going to do that?" Ranma asked.

"I don't know yet," said Sora, "I've been making things up as I go along for a while. But so far that's worked out pretty well."

"Sort of like what I do," said Ranma, "I try to keep my options open so if things don't work out, I can always change whatever plan I've got so it will work out in the end."

Just then something very strange and unexpected happened. A large blue circle of shimmering magic appeared in the library.

"What the…?" exclaimed Aiden, "is…is that a portal?"

"It is," said Riku, "but not one we use.

From the strange portal emerged an old man wearing light blue robes.

"Tibor! said a surprised King Mickey.

"Your majesty," said the old man, Tibor, "I bear tidings from The Oracle. He requests the assistance of The Keyblade Wielders and their companions on a matter of grave importance."

"Who's The Oracle?" Kairi asked.

"All will be explained, young Keyblade Wielder," said Tibor, "but you and your companions must come with me at once, for the fate of more than one world rests on your actions."

"I think you should go with him," said The King in a serious tone, "if The Oracle needs you, then things must be pretty bad."

"The situation isn't dire yet," said Tibor, "there is still time, but not much."

"Well, if someone needs our help as Keyblade Wielders," said Sora, "Then we'll go."

"Just give us a minute to get our stuff ready," said Kairi.

"We'll have all of the supplies you'll need when you return," said Queen Minnie.

"If I'm right," said King Mickey, "then you guys are just going to a mission briefing."

"That is correct," said Tibor.

"Then what are we waiting for?" Aiden asked as he rubbed his wrists in his own manner, "alright! Let's do this!"

"Right behind you, my friend," said Riku. With that he and Aiden walked through the blue portal.

"Hey wait up!" said Donald as he and Goofy hurried through the portal after them.

"Well," said Roxas, "while we're out here, we might as well go too."

"I'm eager for an adventure as well," said Naminé. With that they entered the portal.

"You okay with this?" Kairi asked Ranma.

"I haven't been fully okay with anything since I fell into that damned cursed spring in China," said Ranma, "but, yeah, I'm cool with this." With that he walked into the portal.

Before Sora and Kairi entered the portal, Jiminy hopped onto Sora's shoulder, "just because I've got a lot of work to catch up on, doesn't mean I should miss out on any further adventures."

"Welcome back, Jiminy," said Sora. With that he, Kairi and Jiminy entered the portal.

Our heroes then found themselves inside a vast, beautifully constructed temple that was surrounded by…

"Nothing," said a slightly worried Aiden as he and the others looked at the white emptyness around them, "there's this big temple in the middle of nothing. What is this?"

"This is Kandracar," said Tibor, "the center of infinity. It is here, in this world between worlds, that the Congregation of Kandracar, can observe events throughout time and space."

"Congregation of Kandracar?" Sora asked.

"A gathering of enlightened beings from across existence," said a female voice. There stood a woman with feline facial features, fur and ears as well as whiskers. "We observe and record the events of the universe as they happen, and when necessary, intervene when circumstances require our efforts," she then adopted an annoyed expression, "though I wish that when this situation required our intervention, we had made a better choice in those who would receive the power."

"You supported the choice with the rest of us, Luba," said Tibor.

"A choice that should have been reconsidered," said the cat woman, Luba in an irate tone, "I clearly said several times that the current Guardians are too young and inexperienced," she then looked at Sora and the others in an apprising manner, and she didn't like what she saw, "and now we're enlisting even more immature would-be heroes."

"That's not fair!" said an annoyed Kairi, "just because we're young doesn't mean we're not up to whatever it is you're asking us to do."

"Size and appearances can be deceiving," said Naminé.

"We've saved a lot of worlds and defeated a heck of a lot of Heartless," said Sora, "and defeated a lot of Villains."

"We've got what it takes," said Riku, "no doubt about it."

"Just because you're some sort of enlightened cat lady," said Ranma, "doesn't mean you know everything."

"Give us a chance and we'll prove that we're up for the job," said Roxas.

"They have a point, Luba," said Tibor.

"That remains to be seen," said Luba. She then left the area.

"Well, that wasn't very nice," said Aiden, "we've come here without knowing the full situation, and she treats us like dirt. What's up with that?"

"She's just worried," said a male voice that was full of kindness and wisdom. Walking towards our heroes was a man of indeterminable age with the appearence and dress of a Buddhist monk.

"Oracle," said Tibor as he bowed respectfully, "as requested, I've brought The Keyblade Wielders and their companions."

"Thank you, Tibor," said man. He then looked at Sora and the others, "I cannot express how grateful I am for your assistance. I am The Oracle of Kandracar, and I've asked for your help on a matter of grave importance."

"So we've gathered," said Riku, "but what exactly are we needed for?"

"I'll bet it has something to do with The Heartless," said Sora, "some Villain on another world is using them and that world is about to be consumed by darkness."

"That is true," said The Oracle, "but before I tell you the full reason for your being here, there are several facts I must impress on you, so you will have a greater understanding of the situation.

"Every generation for thousands of years, five young women from one particular planet Earth have been chosen to wield the power of the elements; Air, Earth, Fire, Water and The Keeper of The Heart of Kandracar, a crystal of incredible magic that unites the five and bolsters their powers. These young women are endowed with these elemental powers and others abilities to stand against the forces of darkness, and are given the title of Guardians. Their full title varies from generation to generation. The current generation is known as The Guardians of The Veil.

"The Veil is a magical barrier that separates this particular planet Earth from another world that has recently been corrupted by evil; Metamore, once home to an advanced civilization of magic users. Since the dawn of that world's civilization, Metamore has always been ruled by benevolent queens gifted by powerful magic. Centuries ago Metamore had its Keyhole sealed by one of these benevolent queens, yet conditions were set so that a future queen could unseal it."

"I didn't know a Keyhole could be unsealed," said Sora.

"I didn't know Keyholes could be sealed by someone without a Keyblade," said Riku.

"Guess we still have a lot more to learn," said Kairi.

"In time you will learn all that there is to learn about your roles as Keyblade Wielders," said The Oracle, "now, to continue, the last queen of Metamore had no daughter to inherit the kingdom until just over twelve years ago. Up till that point, the only child of the current monarch was a boy, Phobos, a gifted magic user in his own right, but was born with a terrible darkness in him."

The Oracle then showed our heroes the image of a man in his late 20's to early 30's with long pale blond hair and a goatee. He wore dark brown and red robes and had a maniacal look in his dark blue eyes that betrayed the mark of a tyrant.

"Phobos coveted the throne of Metamore," said The Oracle, "while secretly delving in the dark arts. But then a girl was born, the next rightful queen.

"By this point Phobos was so deep in the darkness and twisted by madness that he overthrew his mother, the queen, and tried to murder his infant sister. A powerful magical artifact was used to send the young princess through The Veil to Earth, where she and her caretakers assumed human identities.

"The girl, who was given the name Elyon Brown, spent the next twelve years with no idea of who she really was or of the power sleeping inside of her."

The Oracle then showed our heroes an image of a girl in her early teens with long straw-blond hair that was braided and with ice-blue eyes that were friendly, cheerful and kind."

"Unknown to Elyon, her brother Phobos turned his lust for power and magic on his world, draining the world of its magic and launching a rein of terror that reduced that once bright civilization into an age of darkness."

"I'm disliking this Phobos already," said Kairi in an irate tone, while Aiden, Roxas, Ranma and Donald nodded in agreement.

"As do the people of Metamore," said Tibor, "since Phobos forced his way to the throne, a rebellion has been in the works to bring the mad prince down. In the twelve years since, the rebellion has had moderate success in resisting Phobos' tyranny, though the chances of their succeeding in their overall mission has been in doubt in recent years, but we will get back to them in a minute. There are other matters that must come first."

"What about Elyon?" Naminé asked.

"She's part of the current situation," said The Oracle, "Phobos' lust for power has left Metamore nearly depleted of magic, so he set his sights on the rest of the universe. Yet he cannot move beyond Metamore without another source of magic; his sister."

"You mean he's going to suck her magic out of her like a vampire?" Roxas asked.

"Nothing that abrupt," said Tibor, "despite his obvious insanity, Phobos has a cunning mind that has conceived of a plan to reunite his sister with her world, which has succeeded on that part. Elyon was brought back to Metamore and Phobos assumed the role of the kind-hearted brother who was looking for his long lost sister.

"Phobos has since been instructing Elyon in the use of her powers and other matters of royal statecraft, all under the guise of eventually stepping down from the throne and allowing Elyon to assume her birthright as Queen.

"The truth is that Phobos is only allowing Elyon to learn how to use her powers so they'll be mature enough when the time is right. That is when Phobos will show his true colors and betray Elyon."

"Now I'm starting to hate Phobos," said Sora as he crossed his arms.

"I'd skin him alive," said an irate Naminé, "like the snake he is."

"Oh, that's another fact I wish to point out," said The Oracle, "Phobos' majordomo is a shape shifter named Cedric. He can turn into a giant snake-like creature of immense physical power."

"A guy who can turn into a giant snake?" Ranma asked, "no problem. Couple times I had to fight a guy who could turn into a really big and ugly monster."

"How big of a monster?" Sora asked.

"Picture a giant bull," said Ranma, "mix it with a yeti so it can now walk on two legs. Add an eel so now it has a tail with a head, the wings of a crane and then add some octopus tentacles. That's Pantyhose Taro for you."

"What?" a confused Riku asked.

"Your rival that can turn into a monster is called Pantyhose Taro?" Aiden asked.

"Long story," said Ranma.

"If I may continue," said Tibor, "Cedric, on Phobos' orders, was the one who lead Elyon back to Metamore, while at the same time poisoning Elyon's mind with lies and turning her against her friends, whom just happen to be the current generation of Guardians."

The Oracle then showed Sora and the others the images of five girls in their early teens. The first had red hair and brown eyes with a medium skin tone. She looked like she had a lot of courage in her and was not afraid to stand up for what was right. She wore a brown shirt and pants with a pink jacket.

The second girl had long honey-colored hair and light green eyes. Hse seemed to be highly cheerful, optimistic and had a smile that was ready to crack a joke at any moment. She wore a red shirt under a brown jacket and hip-hugger jeans.

The third girl was African American with part of her hair braided into dreadlocks and wore glasses. She seemed to be rather shy at first but also was full of determination when driven by a cause. She also seemed to be the most intelligent of the group. She had a blue shirt over a brown jacket and blue jeans

The fourth girl was clearly one who valued her appearance. She had long blond hair and blue eyes. Possessing a high level of vanity, stubbornness and sarcasm, she was also considerate and kindhearted to those she cared about. She wore an orange shirt with a long brown skirt.

The fifth girl had an Asian complexion with long black hair tied back in two ponytails. She had a free-spirited personality that was mixed with a sometimes hyperactive eagerness for fun and life. She wore a yellow and white top with a green skirt.

"The current generation of Guardians," said The Oracle. He pointed to the girl with ponytails, "Hay Lin, Air Guardian," then to the girl with blond hair, "Cornelia Hale, Earth Guardian," the girl with the dreadlocks, "Taranee Cook, Fire Guardian" the girl with honey-colored hair, "Irma Lair, Water Guardian," and finally to the girl with red hair, "Willma Vandom, Keeper of The Heart of Kandracar, but she likes to be called Will."

"Good gods!" said an exasperated Aiden, "they look like they ought to be in school, or something."

"I have to agree," said Riku, "these five girls don't look like the kind of person who should be saving the universe."

"And what are we?" Kairi asked in an accusing tone, "How old were you when you started saving the universe?" She looked at Aiden, "and how old are you?"

"Old enough," muttered Aiden.

"Age shouldn't matter," said Sora. "Anyone with light in their heart is capable of standing against the darkness, and having magical powers does help."

"Truer words couldn't have been spoken," said The Oracle. "Despite their obvious youth and inexperience, I do believe that Will Vandom and her friends have what it takes to save Elyon from the darkness and restore the balance to Metamore."

The Oracle then showed our heroes a larger image of the five girls , each of them surrounded by a different magical light that transformed them in many ways. They had become taller and much more physically mature, as if they had suddenly aged four or five years. Their outfits had also changed.

Will now wore a pink top with wide sleeves that had her midsection exposed, a short dark green skirt, light green and blue stockings and calf-length purple boots.

Irma wore a similar green top with narrow sleeves, a slightly longer dark pink skirt and short purple boots.

Taranee swore a sleeveless pink top with pink wristbands, while her hair was placed into six dreadlocks along the back of her head.

Cornelia wore a dark green top and a long pink skirt, while Hay Lin's dark green top was sleeveless. One singular factor of the girls' outfits was that they all had wings.

"I stand corrected," said a very eager Aiden, "they're heroes alright."

"Looks to me that they've got what it takes to save Metamore and Elyon all on their own," said Roxas.

"And they would have," said Tibor, "nearly every possible outcome predicted that The Guardians succeeded in their mission. But a new, dark element, has been added to the equation that has thrown all predictions of the future into chaos."

"Let me guess," said Riku, "Phobos has The Heartless on his side now."

"I'm afraid so," said The Oracle, "Phobos has indeed utilized the dark power of The Heartless, bringing even more despair and desolation to Metamore than before. At this point, Metamore is on the verge of being devoured by the darkness."

"But Phobos doesn't care about Metamore any more," said Tibor, "now that he has control over The Heartless. All he needs is his sisters' power so he can leave Metamore to its dark fate, then he can spread his madness across time and space, draining one world after another of magic until he has left the universe completely in the darkness.

"But The Guardians, and the rebellion against Phobos, still stand in the way of the mad prince. At first, The Guardians were able destroy The Heartless whenever they appeared on Metamore, and especially in the capital city of Meridian. It did not take them long to discover that The Heartless can be destroyed when one puts their heart into their way of fighting."

"Like my friends and I can," said Ranma, "we're just ordinary people who love martial arts."

"Precisely," said The Oracle, "many members of The Rebellion, including their young leader, Caleb," he then showed an image of a boy in his mid teens with shaggy brown hair, brown eyes and wore a tan coat, a white shirt and tan pants, "are highly skilled swordsmen.

"And then there is the young man from Planet Earth whom has captured the heart of Will Vandom," the Oracle then showed an image of a boy in his early teens with long dark hair and wore an indigo top and brown pants, sparing with Caleb with practice swords.

"Matt Olsen is as ordinarily a human being as can be in terms of lacking magical powers. Yet he is an eager learner and is willing to stand up for what is right. Add the fact that he discovered the Guardain's secret by accident but was very accepting, as well as the fact that he and Will are just beginning to discover their feelings for each other, Matt Olsen has the potential to be a powerful ally."

"But things aren't going they way they should be," said Aiden, "otherwise we wouldn't be here."

"You are a very perceptive young man, Keyblade Alchemist," said Tibor. "Yes, the forces of darkness have interfered in the natural order of this universe."

"Your nemesis, Maleficent," said The Oracle, "has dispatched her Hakonian minions to Metamore to seek out an alliance with Phobos. Not only have they instructed the mad prince in the use of larger numbers of Heartless, but have brought along an incredibly powerful Heartless, which the enemy has named Chimericon, that has left The Guardians worse for wear."

The Oracle then showed an image of a massive Boss Heartless. It had a 40ft long dragon-like torso with two pairs of wings that easily had a 60ft wingspan. The creature had six legs that ended in razor-sharp talons and two forelegs that ended in scorpion claws. It had a long spiked tail and a head like a vulture with four eyes.

"Now that's ugly," said Aiden, "someone in the darkness has a really sick imagination."

"That thing beat Will and her friends?" Kairi asked as she pointed at the image of the giant Heartless, Chimericon.

"I'm afraid so," said The Oracle, "already weakened from a prolonged battle with The Heartless and other minions of Phobos, The Guardians were rendered helpless from this abomination's relentless onslaught. It was only the intervention of Phobos himself that spared Will and her friends from instant death.

"In his twisted, sadistic manner, Phobos used dark powers to separate The Guardians, scattering them across Metamore, while at the same time afflicting their memories to the point that the five girls barely know their own identities."

"Sounds like my kind of work," said Naminé, "if I can get to them, I can restore their memories."

"That's only part of the solution," said The Oracle, "Phobos knows that we here in Kandracar are watching, so he used dark magic to prevent our viewings from determining the exact locations of Will and her friends."

"Which means we're going to have to slug our way through an alien world to find them," said Roxas, "all the while dealing with all sorts of unknown dangers," he sighed, "just like when I worked with The Organization."

"I fear that there is no other choice," said The Oracle, "The Guardians are the only ones who can convince Elyon of the truth."

"There's another factor," said Tibor, "Phobos plans to take Elyon's magic during a ceremony that's being masqueraded by her 'coronation,' and this ceremony will take place in just under two days."

"So we've got less than 48 hours to find five amnesic girls on an alien world?" Ranma asked, "and bring them back so they can save their friend before she's sucked dry of magic?"

"That's the situation in a nutshell," said The Oracle.

"It's times like this that I really miss Axel and the others," said Roxas.

"Even Xemnes?" Naminé asked.

"Well, not Xemnes," said Roxas, "but most of the guys, like Axel, Xigbar, Demyx, Luxord, those guys who weren't all bad, once you got to know them."

There was a few seconds of silence before Sora said to the Oracle, "Okay, we'll do it. We'll go to Metamore, reunite The Guardians and restore their memories, and then help them and The Rebellion take down Phobos, save Elyon so she can be the rightful queen."

"It'll be tough," said Riku, "tougher than anything else we've done."

"But we've always managed to pull through and drive back the darkness," said Kairi, "why should this be any different?"

"So what if this Phobos has an army of minions and an army of Heartless?" Aiden asked, "so what if he's got a really tough Boss Heartless?"

"And a giant snake-man who's begging to get his head kicked in," Ranma added.

"Just another problem that requires a solution," said Roxas.

"And I just happened to be the one who can solve one of the bigger parts of that problem," said Naminé.

"Then there's nothing more to say," said The Oracle, "except good luck."

"Oh, we don't need luck," said Aiden, "we were born lucky."

"This is what we do," said Riku.

"I'm still new at this whole saving all of existence from the darkness thing," said Ranma, "but I'm all for it."

"Same with us," said Roxas, while Naminé nodded in agreement.

"So, is there anything else we need to know before we go to Metamore?" Sora asked.

"There is one more thing," said The Oracle, "Metamore is a vast world, so vast that the time it would take to reunite the five Guardians would be too much to also save Elyon. Therefore, it is the decision of The Council of Kandracar…"

"Albeit a reluctant one for some of us," Luba interjected as she walked back in.

"…that you Keyblade Wielders should receive a new power," The Oracle continued, "for this mission only. Tibor…"

"Yes, Oracle," said Tibor. He bowed and left the room.

"What new power will we get?" Aiden asked.

"Maybe we'll learn how to fly," said Sora, "oh, we should have gone to Neverland and asked Tinker Bell for some Pixy Dust. We could fly for sure with that."

"Pixy Dust?" Ranma asked in an unbelieving manner.

"Whatever you do, Ranma," said Sora in a serious manner, "do not say that you deny the existence of fairies. Every time someone says that they don't believe, somewhere in the universe, a fairy dies, or rather, a Pixy of Neverland."

"We've seen fairies the size of normal humans," said Kairi, "and they're people just like us."

"Long story," said Riku.

"You guys are just full of long stories," said Ranma.

Tibor came back in, carrying a basketball-sized crystal sphere, and within that sphere lay a golden…thing; some gold mass that glowed brightly and vaguely looked like an arrow.

"What is it?" Aiden asked as he and the others looked at the golden thing, "I've got a feeling that whatever it is, it's alive."

"In a way, it is," said The Oracle, "this golden dart is, or rather was, part of the essence of a great man who dedicated his life to defending his world against the forces of darkness. His name was Harry Keogh, a man of many abilities, one of which is a form of teleportation."

"He couldn't truly teleport," said Tibor, "rather, he had the mathematical knowledge to open and close doors from the physical realms to what he referred to as The Möbius Continuum."

"What's that?" Kairi asked.

"I think I heard about it," said Roxas, "one of the Organization spoke of a theoretical world between worlds from which one could use to travel across time and space."

"And other universes," said The Oracle, "basically, The Möbius Continuum is the primal darkness from which all of existence exploded from. This is not the same darkness you've been fighting against. This primal darkness isn't evil, it just is."

"We know that darkness itself isn't evil," said Aiden, "it's just…well…"

"Scary," said Sora.

"Terrifying," said Riku.

"Horrifying," said Kairi.

"Just plain dark," said Ranma, "but there's really nothing in the darkness to be afraid of. It's those who use the darkness for evil, they're the ones that are really scary."

"All too true," said The Oracle, "you've fought evil in many forms, but eventually, you will run into greater and greater evils. I've seen in my visions, which aren't always clear, that some day you will face an evil more malicious than even Maleficent."

"But she's the mistress of all evil," said Riku, "what can be worse than Maleficent?"

"All will be revealed in time," said The Oracle, "but for now be content that you will soon have a new power. This essence of Harry Keogh shall now infuse into your minds the equations needed to access the Möbius Continuum."

"What do you mean 'Infuse to our minds?'" Riku asked.

As if to answer, Tibor pressed a hidden switch on the crystal sphere, opening it an allowing the golden 'dark' that was once part of Harry Keogh to float into the air. It hovered in front of Sora, Riku, Kairi and Aiden for a second, then it shone four golden beams of light onto their heads.

Instantly Sora, Riku, Kairi and Aiden felt a slight pressure on their minds, as if something was entering their memories. The sensation passed as suddenly as it occurred, and they all realized that there was something new in their minds, something powerful. The light from the 'dart' faded and the essence fragment returned to the crystal sphere, which Tibor closed.

"The knowledge you've received will help you travel across Metamore in a blink of an eye," said The Oracle, "it should help rescuing The Guardians that much easier."

"I think you're right," said Sora, "this is awesome!"

"Unfortunately this information is only temporary," said The Oracle, "I'm sorry to say it, but you young heroes aren't fully ready to have that kind of power for your own."

"So this new ability is just a loan," said Riku, "okay, I can deal with that."

"How long will we have this new power?" Aiden asked.

"It will leave your minds in just over two days," said The Oracle, "just enough time for you succeed in your mission. And you need not worry about crossing The Veil; your own powers should get you there."

"Then we're as ready as we can be," said Riku.

"We'll win for sure," said Sora, "and thanks for the new power, Oracle."

"Even if it's only for two days," said Kairi, "it'll be awesome to teleport."

"It's not teleportation," said The Oracle, "it's like opening one door to a corridor and opening another door. You'll understand when you enter the Continuum yourselves, all that you need to know what to do is already in your minds."

"We won't let you down, Oracle," said Aiden as he, Riku, Kairi and Sora bowed respectfully.

"And we'll help!" said Donald, while Goofy nodded in agreement.

"I may not have any special powers," said Ranma, "not like Sora and the others do. All I have are my fighting abilities and my own self confidence, but I'll do all that I can."

"That's all anyone can be asked of," said Tibor, "you're all as ready as you can be."

"Go now, heroes of light," said The Oracle, "go and stand against the darkness." With that he created a portal back to Disney Castle

"We won't let you down," said Sora. With that he, Riku, Kairi, Aiden, Donald, Goofy, Roxas, Naminé and Ranma entered the portal and it closed up after them.

"They'll be alright," said The Oracle, "I've seen it in my visions. I just hope that later on they'll be strong enough in mind and heart to face the true danger to existence, a danger greater than The Heartless. The farther I look into the future, the harder it is to determine a potential destiny from what is sure to be. One thing is certain, there will come a day when The Keyblade Wielders will face a dark force that will eclipse everything they've faced before."

"The Wamphyri you mean," said Tibor, "must Sora and his friends fight those horrible creatures?"

"Just as they have to fight The Heartless," said The Oracle, "I've seen the future, even though I wish I hadn't; before too long, The Keyblade Wielders will cross paths with the Wamphyri."

* * *

Sora and the others arrived back at Disney Castle, where an anxious King Mickey and Queen Minnie were waiting.

"The Oracle said you had to go to Metamore, right?" The King asked.

"We've got less than two days to find and heal The Guardians," said Sora, "before Phobos kills Elyon."

"I knew that one day that power-obsessed maniac would have to be dealt with," said Queen Minnie.

"How do you know about…?" Aiden asked, "no, we'll ask when we get back how you know."

"My guess is that they've been to Metamore," said Naminé, "before it was taken over by evil."

"True," said The Queen. "Oh, Naminé? If you and Roxas are to be joining Sora, Kairi and the others in the flesh this time, might I suggest a change in wardrobe? The Heartless aren't the only danger on Metamore."

"That world has all sorts of nasty critters," said The King, "all under the command of Phobos and his minions."

"They're right," said Kairi to Naminé, "no offense, but wearing white on a hostile world full of enemies is like holding up a big sign saying 'Here I am! Shoot me already!'"

"I guess you're right," said Naminé as she looked at her all white attire, "but if I have to change my outfit, then so do you."

"And what's wrong with what I'm wearing?" Kairi asked.

"Well it's not really suited for trekking through a hostile world either," said Naminé.

"I can easily have new wardrobes for the two of you readied in minutes," said Queen Minnie, "if you'll follow me."

"Okay, I guess," said Kairi as she and Naminé followed The Queen out of the library.

"They should be back in ten minutes," said King Mickey.

"That gives the rest of us some time to answer some questions," said Aiden as. He looked at Ranma, "now what's this about some shape shifting guy named Pantyhose Taro?"

"He's Happosai's godson," said Ranma. He then stifled a laugh, "it's really too stupid to be funny. You see, Happosai was there when the guy was born and helped deliver him and performed a baptizing ceremony. Being the pervert Happosai is, the old goat gave the baby that name, and the guy has hated Happosai ever sense, cause only Happosai, as Pantyhose Taro's godfather, has the right to change the name, and that old bastard is as stubborn as they come. But what's worse is that Taro was born at Jusenkyo."

"The cursed springs your idiot dad took you to and you both fell in and now you turn into a girl just by touching cold water?" Sora asked.

"The same place," said Ranma, "and Happosai, he baptized Taro in _Niuhoomanmaorenniichuan_; Spring of Drowned Yeti Riding Bull Carrying Crane and Eel. As if that didn't make him big enough of a monster, he later jumped into _Chanyuiniichuan_, Spring of Drowned Giant Octopus, so now his cursed form has octopus tentacles on the back."

"Well that sucks," said Riku.

"Not for him," said Ranma, "Taro views his curse as a blessing, that he relishes in the power of turning into a monster, a real chimera. But he hates Happosai and had tried several times to kill me and my friends because he thought we could convince the old goat to change the guy's name."

"That really sucks," said Roxas.

"What really sucks?" Kairi asked as she and Naminé came back in.

"Ranma's enemy is Happosai's godson," said Sora, "and the guy want's Happosai…to…change his…" Sora and Roxas were both stunned by the girls' new outfits.

Kairi now wore a green and blue top with matching cargo shorts and brown boots, while Naminé had her hair tied back in a single braid and wore a orange and yellow shirt with blue jeans and tan boots.

To Sora and Roxas, the two girls never looked more beautiful.

"That was a quick change," said Aiden.

"It's a simple wardrobe spell," said Queen Minnie, "quite handy when one is in a hurry."

"That is handy," said Ranma, "maybe I can adapt it so I can switch outfits when I get splashed. You won't believe how many times I've been caught in compromising situations when dressed wrongly."

"I can guess," said Riku, "okay, so, we all ready?"

Just then several enchanted broomsticks brought in a full load of restoration items already packed up.

"Okay then," said Sora as he and the others grabbed the packed items and put them away, "Are we all ready?"

"Just one more thing," said King Mickey as he picked up a book from the table that he had pulled out from the library shelves earlier, "this book is an atlas of Metamore and has information on several of the local monsters. It's over twelve years out of date, but it should help you navigate that world and give you some idea of the kind of monsters you'll be facing." He gave the book to Kairi for keeping.

"We'll keep is safe," said Kairi as she shrunk the book and put I in her pocket, "and we'll bring it back when we're done."

"Good luck then," said The King, "I know you'll need all you can get. Phobos is unlike the other Villains you've faced before. He's utterly vicious and devoid of mercy. When he finds out that you're there to stop him, he'll use everything he's got to destroy you."

"Not if we kill him first!" said Aiden eagerly, "that psycho prince has got it coming."

"We'll stop him and save Elyon for sure!" said Kairi.

"And rescue The Guardians," said Sora.

"I'd like to see Phobos or any other Villain try to stop us!" said Ranma, wile Riku, Aiden, Donald and Goofy nodded in agreement.

"That's the spirit!" said King Mickey.

Sora, Riku, Kairi and Aiden then summoned their Keyblades and opened a new portal, one that would take them to Metamore, "we'll be back before you know it," said Sora as he and the others went through.

"They'll be alright," said The King, "they'll win and come back."

"I hope so," said The Queen, "and I hope that the next mission and the next one will be alright. Yen Sid did say that things would start to get worse soon, for all of us in The Realm of Light."

Just then Daisy burst into the library, an anxious look on her face. She then stopped when she saw that only The King and Queen were in the room. Her expression turned into annoyance, "he left without saying goodbye again, didn't he?"

"You know Donald," said Queen Minnie, "he's not one for sad goodbyes."

"He'll be back soon," said King Mickey.

"Oh he'd better come back," said an irate Daisy, "or else he'd better find a new girlfriend." With her nose in the air, Daisy stomped out of the library.

Just then King Mickey slapped his fist into his palm, "oh no! There was one thing I forgot to tell Sora and the others!"

"Is it important?" Queen Minnie asked, "about the mission?"

"I was going to tell them when they first got here, but it slipped my mind for some reason," said King Mickey, "when I told Sora and the others that we could now spy on the enemy, I forgot to tell them that the enemy can spy on us!"

* * *

…New Hollow Bastion…

"Did you determine where The Brats are going?" Rakel asked as she stood before a row of dark people that were working at several computer terminals. These people, like Ralek, are Hakonians, but of lower social status, marking them as servants and workers.

"There has been a high-level of solar activity around the enemy castle, Lady Mindblighter," said one of the lesser Hakonians, " as well as subspace interference around our world. The combined interference makes interpreting the transmissions difficult."

"We're having difficulty locating the source of the subspace interference," said a second lesser Hakonian, "it's as if there are multiple sources at varying distances from the planet."

"Never mind the interference!" demanded Konrad, "Maleficent wants to know what that low-born runt King Mickey is up to, as well as what those peasants, The Keyblade Wielders, are going."

"It's not our fault, Lord Soulreaver," said the first lesser Hakonian, "we managed only to recover fragments of the conversation."

"It wasn't solar flairs that garbled the information," said a third lesser Hakonain, "there was an unknown energy signature that was clearly jamming the signal. There's an outside force at work."

"That's definitely the subspace interference," said the second lesser Hakonian, "these energy readings aren't natural. Something is generating the interference."

"That's absurd," said Reddik, "those fools at Disney Castle can't jam our signals, just as we can't jam their spying technology. Both systems have redundancies built in to prevent both sides from interfering with each other. That's why we've begun shielding parts of our castle against spying. I'm surprised the enemy hasn't begun shielding their world as well.

"I guess it can't be helped. We'll find out who or what is interfering with our espinoge efforts. But did we receive any information that can be used?"

"There were only a few sentences that were clear, Lord Nightshade," said a fourth lesser Hakonian. He then handed Reddik a printout that had a few lines.

"'…using one's full potential…,' '…I'm not the new guy anymore…,' '…he used to work for The Organization…'"

"None of this is useful," said an irate Erika, "this is pointless! Why is Maleficent still making us work together on this stupid assignment? I told her I work best alone. I could be out there destroying worlds instead of being stuck here with you goobers!"

"Well excuse us for not being good company," said a sarcastic Rakel.

Just then one of the lesser Hakonians handed another printout to Reddik.

"Wait, here's more that got through. It's a full conversation," he then gestured to the lesser Hakonians, "play the transmission, best audio quality possible!"

The computer then began paying the conversation between Ranma, Sora, Riku and Aiden, concerning Pantyhose Taro.

"Well," said Rakel, "I guess that's interesting."

"What pray tell is interesting?" Maleficent asked as she walked into the room.

"Great one!" exclaimed Rakel as she, Reddik, Konrad and Erika bowed, while the lesser Hakonians stood up and bowed as well.

"What information have you gleamed from the wretched Realm of Light?" Maleficent asked.

"Uh…" said a very nervous Rakel, "we…have run into some technical difficulties in that matter, oh great and terrible Maleficent."

"There's some outside source jamming us," said Reddik, "we've only just realized it and are working on countering the interference. We should have the problem solved before too long."

"But we did manage to obtain one definate piece of information," said a slightly frantic Konrad. He snatched the printout from Reddik and handed it to Maleficent, "apparently, the pervert Happosai, has a godson who can transform into a chimera-like monster."

"Does he now?" said Maleficent as she read the printout, "a young boy with a humiliating name, who is willing to commit unspeakable attrocities in order to have that name changed. And he can become a combination of a yeti, a bull, an eel, a crane and an octopus. Surely this boy would make an excellent addition to the cause."

"You want us to fetch this Pantyhose Taro?" Rakel asked.

"Don't volunteer us!" hissed Erika.

"What a splendid suggestion," said a delighted Maleficent, "Erika, you and Rakel are to go to Earth and bring this Pantyhose Taro to me. He will serve the darkness as I see fit."

"We shall do as you command, Maleficent," said Rakel as she bowed, while Erika only nodded her head, albeit reluctantly.

"This will definitely advance the cause," said Maleficent, "now that we've finally gotten that disgusting graffiti off of the walls, we can finally make some progress."

The four Hakonians knew what Maleficent was talking about. Last month, another message with the words 'L. Lawlett Lives,' appeared in the castle, only this time appearing as magical paint on the walls that couldn't be scrubbed off or removed my magic. The message eventually faded on it's own, but not before seriously upsetting Maleficent.

Yet the mistress of all evil was calm now as she contemplated the future, "what with Nikolai and Katarina on assignment to Metamore, with the prospect of forging an alliance with Prince Phobos, a new addition in the form of a shape shifting martial artist will be of great value to the darkness.

"Fetch the boy at once!" said Maleficent to the four Hakonians, "for if he is indeed superior to the Child of Chaos, Ranma Saotome, then the balance of power shall tip in our favor."

"That is shall, great one," said Rakel as she, Konrad, Erika and Reddik bowed.

Maleficent then left the room.

"Are you crazy!" snapped Erika at Rakel, "I don't want to go back to Earth. For all we know that one, the Forsaken One, may be there. If we see her and she sees us, her powers could come back and she'll kill us all!"

"We won't be long," said Rakel, she then winked at Reddik, "we'll find this monster Maleficent wants and bring him back. Then Maleficent will be occupied with him enough that we'll have time for other plans."

"Oh, right, other plans," said Erika, "well then, what are we waiting for?"

"Just hurry back," said Reddik, "and be careful. If this Pantyhose Taro is as strong as Ranma Saotome says he is…"

"I'll be extra careful around this volatile human," said Rakel, "I've already have a plan in mind to ensure his cooperation."

"And what plan would that be?" Konrad asked.

Rakel then smiled viciously, "I'll make him an offer he cannot refuse."

* * *

…Disney Castle…

"You still haven't told them about the demons," said Queen Minnie, "Sora and the others have the right to know."

"It'll only upset them," said King Mickey, "they had such a hard time against Zabuchrion and a handful of lesser demons. From what we've learned, there may be dozens of upper-level demons wandering around our universe."

"Which is why Sora and his friends should be told," said Queen Minnie, "they were able to defeat demons before. They should be warned if these horrible monsters are going to attack the worlds."

"I still don't think Sora and the others should be given more to worry about," said King Mickey, "what with Maleficent now being able to control Nobodies. Things are only going to get harder for our friends.

"Besides, we don't know if these demons are going to attack at all. All the sightings reported that the demons only looked around and left without hurting anyone. For all we know they're just looking."

The King then looked as if a horrible idea just crept into his mind, "on the other hand, the demons may be gathering information, as a precursor for an invasion. If that's so…no, we can't be sure of anything just yet," he looked at The Queen, "but you're right about telling Sora. They should know. I'll tell them as soon as they get back."

Just then Daisy walked into the room, "Your Majesties, we have a guest," there at the doorway stood a human girl in her mid teens. She had blond hair down to just below her shoulders, blue eyes and a medium complexion. She wore and orange and blue shirt under a yellow and green windbreaker and blue jeans. Around her neck was a simple gold necklace with a red heart-shaped locket.

"Thank you for seeing me, your highnesses," said the girl as she bowed respectfully.

"Welcome, young one," said Queen Minnie as she curtsied and King Mickey bowed.

"I don't know if this will sound rude," said the girl, "I'm not familiar to royalty."

"It's alright," said King Mickey, "just say what your heart says."

"Well," said the girl, "before I go any further, I have to ask, do you know Sora and the other Keyblade Wielders?"

"We certainly do know them," said Queen Minnie, "but how do you know our friends?"

"They helped save the world that my friends and I help protect," said the girl, "I'm Sara Lancaster by the way."

"Oh, Sora and his friends did talk about you and your friends in Dream Valley," said King Mickey.

"We're honored to meet a friend that Sora and the others met on their travels," said Queen Minnie, "and a Princess of Heart as well."

"Yeah, about that," said Sara Lancaster in an slightly uncomfortable tone, "I'm still getting used to that. But that's not why I'm here," she held up her locket, "I guess Sora told you what this is."

"The Rainbow of Light," said King Mickey, "Sora said that you are the rightful barer of it."

"He also told us that you were told that The Rainbow of Light was only part of a larger magic."

"That's what I'm here for," said Sara Lancaster, "a friend of my family, The Moochick, he sent me here so I could learn more about magic in general, so I may find what is needed to make The Rainbow of Light whole again.

**The end of chapter 1.**

Next chapter, our heroes arrive on Metamore and link up with the rebellion. Will they be in time to save the first of The Guardians? Reviews will be rewarded with cake and pie. See you next time!


	2. Chapter 2: The Swiss Cheese Effect

_Before we get started, I'd like to remind you all that I've changed a few things from the W.I.T.C.H. story line so that I would fit with this story which you're reading. How it will work is all thanks to The Heartless, for The Heartless can cause a timeline to deviate from it's cannon course. I'll try to keep things as cannon as possible, but some things, such as how a certain boy discovered the truth about five certain girls, that's changed for this story. If you don't like what I've done, that's your prerogative, but just remember_…**THIS IS FANFICTION!**

_Thank you for your understanding. We now return you to your regularly scheduled story._

Last time found Sora, Riku, Kairi, Aiden, along with Donald, Goofy and Ranma, learning from King Mickey and Queen Minnie that the enemy could now control Nobodies.

An unexpected visitor from a world between worlds arrived to enlist the help of Sora and the others. The Oracle of Kandracar told our heroes that The Heartless are on Metamore, a once bright world corrupted by the mad prince Phobos. Five young women with the power of the elements, The Guardians of the Veil, have opposed Phobos and sought to free the rightful ruler of Metamore, Elyon, from Phobos' clutches before he kills her and takes her power. But with The Heartless now involved, as well as the Hakonians and Nobodies, The Guardians have been overwhelmed. The Oracle asked Sora and the others to go to Metamore to help The Guardians save Elyon before it's too late. Roxas and Naminé went with them as well, for Naminé has the power to restore the minds of The Guardians.

At the same time, The Oracle then temporarily infused Sora, Riku, Kairi and Aiden with the power to traverse across a world in the blink of an eye, a power that came from the essence of a great man who gave his all against the darkness. With this new power, our heroes then set out to Metamore, knowing that they had just under two days to succeed before the darkness claims another world.

Over in New Hollow Bastion, Maleficent learned of Pantyhose Taro, the shape shifting godson of Happosai. Intrigued by the idea of a martial artist who transform into a combination of a yeti, a bull, an eel, a crane and an octopus, Maleficent ordered Erika and Rakel to bring the irate Pantyhose Taro to New Hollow Bastion.

Back at Disney Castle, Sara Lancaster arrived in search of answers to making The Rainbow of Light whole again. 'Nuff said, on with the show!

**Chapter 2: The Swiss Cheese Effect**

The next thing Sora and the others knew they were in an underground chamber lit by torches. The walls had a slight greenish tint to them, giving the whole place a gloomy atmosphere.

"Are we on Metamore?" Aiden asked.

"I guess so," said Sora, "but I'm stumped as to where on Metamore we are."

"I'll check the book The King gave us," said Kairi as she recovered said tome from her pocket and enlarged it, "good thing I'm a speed reader."

"I was wondering how you managed to finish Atlas Shrugged so quickly," said Riku.

Just as she opened the book, the pages began to rapidly turn on their own.

"That's interesting," said Riku.

"Weird, more like it," said Aiden.

"I guess the book has a spell on it," said Sora, "that it'll tell us what we need to know."

The pages stopped turning and a section of one page was highlighted with blue light. "You're right, Sora," said Kairi as she read the article, "the book will tell us what we want to know about Metamore. It says that this place we're in is called The Infinite City. It's an underground labyrinth that was part of a city from an ancient civilization, and that the labyrinth runs under Meridian. According to the book, no one in living memory knows exactly how extensive The Infinite City is."

"Is there a map of the labyrinth in the book?" Riku asked, "we could end up seriously lost down here."

The book then flipped a page and revealed a highly detailed map. A single blue dot shone on the map.

"I'm guessing that's where we are," said Ranma.

"There's an exit up to the city above less than half a mile from here," said Kairi, "and several large chambers close by."

"I think it would be a good idea to check out those chambers first," said Riku.

"Why?" Aiden asked.

"Well," said Riku, "if I were in charge of the rebellion against Phobos," said Riku, "and there was a large underground maze right underneath Phobos' nose, I'd use that as a base of operations."

Just then our heroes heard the sound of dozens of approaching foot steps. They soon found themselves surrounded by over twenty humans and human-like people, all wearing various styles of clothing that would fit in with a pre-Renaissance society. Most of the human-like people differed from the humans in several ways; some of them had wildly colored skin, while others had animalistic features. All of them carried weapons. Some had swords, others had spears or axes, and a few had bows with notched arrows, all of which were aimed at Sora and the others.

"I hate it when you're right," said an irate Aiden to Riku.

"I'm guessing you guys are the Rebels," said Ranma.

"You guessed right, stranger," said one of the armed men, a humanoid youth in his late teens. He was tall with gray skin and bony knobs around his bald head. He wore a purple tunic shirt and gray pants and was armed with a sword that was pointed at Ranma, "either you people are incredibly lucky or incredibly stupid to come seeking us out."

"They're probably working for Phobos!" said one of the Rebels, while several other rebels shouted in agreement.

"No we're not!" said Roxas.

"We're friends!" said Naminé, "we've been sent to help you and The Guardians!"

Just then a particularly large humanoid with blue skin and wearing a gray coat and pants stepped forward, "what do you strangers know of The Guardians?" he asked.

"That that they were chosen by fate to wield the elements," said Kairi, "and that their mission is to defeat Phobos and restore Elyon to the throne of Metamore."

"We're here to help them and you defeat Phobos," said Roxas.

"Maybe you are," said the large blue man as he pointed a large axe at Sora and the others, "or maybe you're here to destroy us!"

"For all we know they're also working for those two outworlders who brought in that huge Heartless that defeated The Guardians!" said the bald youth, "you were probably sent by Phobos to destroy us!"

"We're enemies of The Heartless!" Riku insisted, "and even though we haven't met him, we're also enemies of Phobos."

"And even though we haven't met them yet," said Naminé, "we're friends of The Guardians."

"And we're your friends," said Roxas, "we're all on the same side when it comes to the darkness."

"What do you think, Aldarn?" the large blue man asked.

"With the way things are, Vathek," said the bald youh, "we can't take any chances."

"But shouldn't Caleb be told about this?" one of the rebels asked.

"Caleb's got enough to worry about," said the bald youth, Aldarn, "I'll except full responsibility for this."

"I agree," said the large blue man, Vathek, as he hefted an axe, "best not to take chances." The other rebels then readied their weapons as well.

"Oh man," said Ranma as he took up a fighting stance, "just great."

"Just our luck," said Donald as he pulled out his staff, while Goofy readied his shield.

"We shouldn't have to fight these people," said Naminé, "they're the good guys."

"But they think we're the bad guys," said Roxas, "so we'd better get ready."

Just as Roxas, Riku, Kairi and Aiden were about to summon their Keyblades, Sora had a brilliant idea. "Parle!" he shouted.

"What?" Aldarn asked.

"I said Parle," said Sora.

"That's right!" said Donald, "Parle!"

"Yep!" said Goofy, "Parle!"

"What's Parle?" Aiden asked.

"I'd like to know that myself," said an irate Vathek.

"It means we want to talk to your leader," said Goofy.

"We want to talk to Caleb," said Sora, "yes, we definitely want to talk to Caleb."

"What do you know about Caleb?" Vathek demanded.

"It's a long story," said Sora, "I'm sure he'll want to hear what my friends and I have to say, and if you rebels have any sense of honor, you'll let us talk to Caleb, and you won't hurt us until we're done talking. If Caleb still thinks we're the enemy after we're done talking, then we can fight, but not until then."

"This stinks of Phobos' work!" shouted one of the rebels, "let's get rid of these intruders! They know too much already!" Several other rebels shouted in agreement.

"No!" said Aldarn in a stern tone, "they want to talk to Caleb, so, let's take them to Caleb."

"This is a bad idea," said Vathek, "what if it's a trap? An assassination plan?"

"I'm second in command, Vathek," said Aldarn, "I'll take full responsibility. Besides," he looked at Sora and the others, "If they really wanted to kill us, they would have attacked by now, trap or not trap," he looked at Sora, "you want to talk to Caleb? The let's go."

"I hope you know what you're doing," said Aiden to Sora, "and where did you get this Parle thing anyway?"

"I picked I up in Port Royal," said Sora, "It's part of the Pirate Code."

"I didn't know pirates had a code," said Aiden, "Luffy and his crew were honorable enough, but for pirates as a whole to have a code of honor? That's just contradictory."

"Well…" said a slightly nervous Sora, "the Pirate Code, it's more like a guideline."

"Of course," said Aiden. He then sighed, "I knew I should have stayed in bed this morning."

Our heroes soon found themselves in a larger chamber that was clearly part of the rebel headquarters. The chamber had several other tunnels leading off to other parts of the labyrinth. There were several hundred men and women, most of them human the rest from humanoid species, all of them either sharpening weapons, preparing medical supplies or delivering messages from one person to another. It was a highly organized scene. Yet nearly all activity stopped when Sora and the others were escorted through the room. The assembled rebels glared at our heroes suspiciously, while those with weapons brandished them threateningly.

"I'm really feeling uncomfortable about all of this," said Aiden.

"Don't do anything that would set them off," said Riku, "These are desperate people who have already been pushed to their limits by a ruthless tyrant. And now they've been facing The Heartless. These people are so on edge that they may attack us on general principle, so don't give them a reason."

"I just hope their leader is still capable of reason," said Kairi.

Sora and the others were then told to wait outside a side chamber. They could see inside and hear two teenagers having an argument. Our heroes recognized the two teenaged boys from the images shown to them by The Oracle. The boy in the brown coat was Caleb, the Rebel leader, and the boy in the hoodie jacket was Matt Olsen, a human from Planet Earth who not only accepted The Guardians for who they were, but was also the unofficial boyfriend of the leader of The Guardians, Will Vandom.

"There's nothing more I can do, Matt!" said an irate Caleb, "I've sent as many men as I can risk to find the girls, but the streets above are swarming with Heartless and enemy regulars. They're watching the main entrance to the Infinite City and are looking for more. I can't risk anyone else to go aboveground."

"But Will and the others are out there lost and without their powers!" said a nearly frantic Matt, "I've seen some of the crazy stuff that lives on this crazy world of yours. How long can the girls last out there alone?"

"You're worried about Will," said Caleb, "I understand how you feel. I'm just as worried about Cornelia, and Irma, Taranee and Hay Lin. But if we were to go looking for them, we'd only risk our lives as well as theirs."

"Then what the hell do you expect me to do?" Matt asked, "just sit here and wait while that lunatic Phobos has his way?"

"I don't know!" snapped Caleb, "I…I don't know what to do." Caleb then looked at the chamber entrance, "What is it, Aldarn?"

"We've captured several strangers in the labyrinth," said Aldarn, "they say they're enemies of Phobos and The Heartless, and that they're here to help us and The Guardians. They don't look like the enemy, but it could be a trap."

Caleb and Matt then walked out of the smaller chamber and looked at Sora and the others, "They sure don't look like they work for Phobos to me," said Caleb.

"But how can we be sure?" Aldarn asked.

"We're not your enemies!" Sora insisted as he pushed his way past Aldarn, "we came here to help."

"We've defeated The Heartless before on many worlds," said Riku as he and Kairi walked past Aldarn, "and we've defeated those who have controlled them."

"We know what we're doing," said Kairi.

"You can help us find Will and the others?" Matt asked in a hopeful tone.

"Just give us a chance and we'll find them," said Roxas.

"And I can heal their minds," said Naminé.

"And we'll come back and tear Phobos off his dark throne," said Aiden.

"I'm just here to kick Heartless ass," said Ranma.

"Us to!" said Donald, while Goofy nodded in agreement.

"I still think they're not to be trusted," said Vathek.

"Well, we'll just have to prove ourselves," said Sora. "You said that the entrance to this palace are being watched by The Heartless?"

"And the enemy regulars," said Caleb, "Phobos has an army of soldiers; giant men, strong soldiers but not very smart. And then there are the Lurdens; troll-like creatures that are even dumber but more vicious."

"Kinda like Heartless," said Riku, "one of the easiest ways to destroy a Heartless is to get behind it. One on one, they're helpless when outflanked."

"How can you outflank an enemy when there's only the frontal approach available?" Aldarn asked. "We only know of a few entrances to The Infinite City, but Phobos' dogs have found most of them and has then guarded by his soldiers and Heartless."

"Show us one of these guarded entrances," said Aiden, "we'll unblock it for you."

"We'll show you exactly what we can do against The Heartless," said Roxas.

"I still say this is a trap," said Vathek.

"I'm starting to think otherwise," said Aldarn.

"Well, if they say that they're here to help the girls," said Matt, "then we should at least give them the chance."

Just then several of the rebels spoke up, half saying to give Sora and the others a chance, while the other half said to treat them like enemies and get rid of them, permanently.

"You're still the leader, Caleb," said Aldarn, "it's your choice."

"If they say they're here to help The Guardians," said Caleb, "and save Princess Elyon from Phobos, then I'll give them the chance."

"You won't regret this," said Riku as he held out his hand, which Caleb then shook.

"I hope I won't," said Caleb as he shook hands with Sora and the others, "there's way too much at stake and we're running out time."

"Well that's one problem we can solve," said Sora, "we've got our own way to move about without wasting too much time. Just show us that blocked entrance and we'll show you what we mean."

"Alright then," said Caleb as he picked up a sheathed sword and strapped it to his back, "just follow me."

"If you're going to show them, Caleb," said Aldarn, "then I'm coming to."

"Same with me," said Vathek.

"I want to see this," said Matt.

"Just try not to blink too much," said Kairi, "you might miss it."

"We'll see about that," said Matt.

Caleb then showed our heroes to a staircase that lead to an opening in the roof that revealed a heavily overcast sky. The clouds were dark purple and flashed once with lighting, revealing a handful of Neo Shadows sticking their heads down into the opening.

"There's about twenty of those things last time we checked," Caleb whispered, "with about five enemy soldiers."

"What's the layout topside?" Aiden asked.

"We're right under what used to be an abandoned wheelwright building," said Caleb, "when the enemy discovered the place covered the entrance, Phobos had his minions pull the house down and set guards the entrance. About ten paces west is a street full of empty shops, and twenty paces south is an abandoned lot."

"The edge of the empty lot is our best bet," said Riku.

"Right," said Sora, "I'll try it first."

"You'd think The Oracle would at least demonstrate how to use The Möbius Continuum," said Aiden.

"We should have tried it first before we left for this world," said Kairi, "but it's too late for that."

"Okay then," said Sora, "I'll go first. If you hear me fighting Heartless above ground in a few seconds, that means it worked. If you don't…well…"

"Just get up there and kick Heartless ass already," said Ranma, "we'll follow from this end when you get up there."

"Pincer movement," said Caleb, "but how are you going to get up there without the enemy seeing you?"

"Like this," said Sora. In his mind he visualized the equations he received from the Keogh essence, then with his mind and heart working as one, he opened a door that didn't exist, and vanished.

The next thing Sora noticed was that there was nothing, no ground, no tunnel, none of his friends, no air, just empty darkness all around. Yet he did not feel a lack of gravity, or a need to breathe for that matter.

_So this is the primal darkness_, thought Sora, _It's not so bad_. He then visualized a door that would open up above ground on Metamore and opened it.

The next thing Sora knew he was in the empty lot described by Caleb. He looked and saw dozens of Neo Shadows standing around the hole in the ground, and with the assembled Heartless were five, 7ft tall gray-skinned humanoids that were heavily muscled with slightly elongated limbs, wore spiked armor and carried wicked-looking axes.

All around Sora were various dilapidated buildings that would have fit in a medieval setting. Here and there were massive thorny vines that all converged on a large hill at one end of the city. Atop the hill was a black gothic castle, and above that castle was a vile pink light that centered the gloomy clouds that completely covered the city.

Sora then focused on the enemies at hand. He summoned his Keyblade and aimed it at the throngs of Neo Shadows, "Force!" he shouted sending a Gravity spell at the Neo Shadows, crushing eight of them.

This caught the attention of the enemy soldiers. "A rebel!" shouted one of them, "get him!" The four other soldiers and the rest of the Neo Shadows then ran towards Sora.

"Sounds like Sora made it," said Riku as the Neo Shadows looking down the hole left, "okay, I'm going next, and I can take one with me. Everyone else can go up the hole and attack them from the rear."

"I'll go," said Ranma, "I mean, if Sora can do it, and if you guys can do it…"

"Talk later," said Riku as he grab Ranma's arm and opened the door with his mind. He and Ranma then vanished and appeared above ground next to Sora. While the two of them had spent several seconds in the primal darkness of the Möbius Continuum, hardly any time at all in the real world had passed.

"That was freaking trippy," said Ranma as he assumed his fighting stance, while Riku summoned his Keyblade.

"Glad you made it," said Sora as the first of the Neo Shadows reached them.

"What, you'd think I'd let you have all the fun yourself?" Riku asked as he stabbed and destroyed one Neo Shadow after another.

"And I'd like to get my two cents in as well," said Ranma as he kicked one Neo Shaodw after another into oblivion. He then faced one of the enemy soldiers and blocked an axe chop, then punched the soldier in the face, sending him across the street.

Just then Kairi, Aiden, Donald, Goofy and Roxas jumped out of the hole and attacked the Neo Shadows from behind, destroying several dozen before the enemy soldiers realized what was happening.

By then Caleb, Vathek and Aldarn were out of the hole as well and were dealing with the remaining enemy soldiers. But one of them began blowing a whistle, clearly a signal for help. But Matt had gotten behind the soldier and bashed him in the head with a large piece of wood that was shaped roughly into a baseball bat.

"Nice," said Sora.

"You should see me at school," said Matt, "I'm no Cal Ripkin, but I'm okay."

Just then ten more enemy soldiers came around a street corner and charged at our heroes.

"I got this," said Aiden. He aimed his Keyblade at the cobblestones in front of the oncoming soldiers and transmuted them into mud. The soldiers soon found themselves stuck in the mud, which Aiden then transmuted back into cobblestones, trapping the soldiers further.

"How'd you do that?" an impressed Aldarn asked, "are you a wizard?"

"No," said Aiden, "I'm an Alchemist, The Keyblade Alchemist to be exact."

"Donald's our regular wizard," said Kairi.

"Take this!" shouted Donald as he cast a Thunder spell on the trapped soldiers, blasting them out of the ground. They all fell to the ground like bowling pins.

By then all of the Neo Shadows guarding the entrance to the labyrinth were destroyed, with Goofy smashing the last one with his shield, "an' that's how we do that!" he said.

Just then another twenty enemy soldiers came running up the street, along with twenty troll-like creatures armed with clubs. These creatures, clearly the Lurdens described by Caleb, had greenish skin and yellow eyes.

With them was a living nightmare. Sora and the others saw a giant snake with a humanoid upper torso , meaning it had arms and face. The creature was well over 30ft long and had green, red and yellow scales and long white hair, while its face was one like a demon.

"Cedric," said a nervous yet determined Caleb as he tightened his grip on his sword.

"So that's Phobos' shape shifting majordomo," said Ranma, "definitely more uglier than Pantyhose Taro."

The giant snake creature, Cedric, paused next to the disabled soldiers. "Pathetic foolsss," he hissed contemptiously, then slithered towards Sora and the others. The creature glared down at Caleb, "Ssso, the rebel leader once again ssshowsss hisss face again."

"I figured that now's as good a time as any to make a stand, fang-face!" said Caleb.

"Only thisss time you and your rebelsss ssshall fall," hissed Cedric. He then glared at Sora and the others, "and who are thessse ssstrangersss?"

Before Sora could respond, Ranma stood forward, "my name is Ranma Saotome, of the Saotome Style of Anything Goes Martial Arts! I'm here to kick Heartless ass and to turn you into snake-skin accessories."

"That's a good idea," said Kairi, "I've been meaning to get a new purse."

"And I would look gorgeous in snake-leather boots," said Naminé.

"We've come to this world to free it from Phobos' darkness," said Riku.

"And if you are Phobos' majordomo," said Aiden, "then you're dead meat, fang-face!"

"What he said!" said Roxas.

"We ssshall sssee about that," said Cedric.

Just then another enemy soldier ran up to the snake creature, "Lord Cedric! One of the Guardians has been sighted!" the soldier then pointed down the street.

Cedric looked down the street, then glared at Caleb, "another time then, rebel!" he then slithered down the street faster than any creature that size should be able to move. The enemy soldiers and Lurdens followed him.

"He's going after one of the Guardians!" said Aldarn.

"But which one?" Caleb asked.

"I'll find out!" said Kairi. She then jumped onto the roof of a nearby building and pulled out a pocket telescope. She used it to see the snake creature slithering towards a 14 year old girl with red hair and wearing a pink jacket. The girl's brown eyes were wide with terror as Cedric stalked towards her.

"And ssso the leader of the Guardiansss finally meetsss her demissse," hissed Cedric.

"I don't know what you're talking about!" exclaimed a horrified Will Vandom, "I don't even know how I got to this crazy world! What do you want with me, you…you thing!"

"Your life, of courssse!" said Cedric. He barred his fangs and prepared to strike.

"Not on my watch!" shouted Kairi. She opened a Möbius door with her mind and appeared next to Will.

"What the…?" a frightened and confused Will asked as she saw Kairi.

"How did you get here ssso quickly!" Cedric demanded.

"It's a secret," said a grinning Kairi, "and this is for you!" she threw a Strike Raid at Cedric, hitting the snake creature across the face. He reared back and roared in pain.

Kairi caught her Keyblade and grabbed Will's hand, "just hold on! I'll get you out of here!"

Before Will could protest, Kairi had transported them both through The Möbius Continuum and back to the others.

"I think it would be a good idea that we all got out of here!" said Aiden as Cedric recovered from Kairis' attack and headed back towards them with even more enemy soldiers, Lurden and now more Heartless.

"Everyone back underground!" shouted Caleb.

Sora, Riku, Ranma and Caleb stayed back to make sure that everyone else got into the tunnel first. Kairi and Matt helped a confused Will into the hole, followed by Aiden, Donald, Goodfy, Vathek and Aldarn.

"Ssstop them!" hissed Cedric.

"Not today!" shouted Caleb as he and Riku jumped into the hole. At the bottom of the shaft was Aldarn preparing a gunpowder charge.

"I'll skin you later, fang-face!" shouted Ranma as he jumped into the hole, followed by a smiling Sora.

"Everyone get clear!" shouted Aldarn as he lit the fuse on the bomb.

"I've got a better idea!" said Riku. He cast his Dark Shield in front of everyone, separating them from the bomb. Several Lurdens and Heartless had jumped into the hole, but then tried to scramble back up at the sight of the bomb.

They were too late and were blasted out of the hole when the bomb went off, which also collapsed the tunnel.

"We're okay on this end," said Riku as he kept his Dark shield up long enough to make sure the rest of the tunnel wouldn't collapse, which it didn't.

"Well," said Vathek as he looked at the wrecked tunnel, "that's one entrance to the labyrinth that Phobos won't exploit."

"It's been a while since we've had a real victory," said a grinning Aldarn, "this will seriously boost our moral."

"I wonder how mad Cedric is right now?" Caleb asked.

As if in answer, there then came a loud rage-fueled roar from the streets above.

"I'd say he's pretty pissed," said Aiden.

"Can someone please tell me what the heck is going on?" a very confused but much calmer Will asked.

"We just saved you from that snake thing," said Kairi.

"I get that," said Will, "but I have no idea how I got into that mess. I remember waking up in this weird city here, and then these creatures are chasing me. Everything before that is all..." she closed her eyes in frustration, "I can't remember!"

"Your memory has been damaged," said Naminé, "but I can help you. Let's go somewhere were we can relax."

"Don't you remember anything, Will?" Matt asked as everyone headed back to the main chamber, "anything at all?"

"Just bits and pieces," said Will, "I know who I am, and I remember remember everything up to when my mom and I moved to Heatherfield, and that on my first day of school at The Sheffield Institute, it rained and I got soaked from a car driving through a puddle. After that, it's all patchy, like my mind is full of holes or something."

"Like your memory has been turned into Swiss Cheese?" Sora asked.

"Yeah," said Will, "like that! Like my brain's been turned into Swiss Cheese! I remember some things though. I remember meeting four very nice girls at the science fair, but…I can't remember their names, only their faces. But I know they're very important to me, and I'm important to them."

"What about me?" a worried Matt asked, "am I in one of those memories?"

Will closed her eyes in concentration, "I…yeah, I remember you, a bit. You're…Matt…something, and you're in a band, Cobalt Steel, or something like that."

"Cobalt Blue," said Matt, "you've been to some of my concerts," he smiled, "and we're kinda dating."

"I feel like you're right," said a blushing Will, "because I seriously want to kiss you right now." At that Matt also blushed.

"That's a good sign," said Naminé, "the memories of your heart are intact. Your feelings for Matt are still there, and so are the memories of your friends. Can you remember anything else?"

"Well," said Will, "there's this," she pulled from under her jacket a bright pink spherical crystal about the size of a large marble that was hanging around her neck, "I know that this was given to me by someone very special, and that I'm supposed to keep it safe, and that it helps my friends and I, but that's it. I'm sorry, but everything else is a blank."

"There's no need to be sorry," said Naminé in a reassuring tone. By then they had reached the main chamber, where Aldarn and Vathek were spreading the news of the minor but definite victory over the enemy to their fellow rebels. Morale was definately improving throughout the freedom fighters.

"A monstrous and unforgivable crime has been committed against you and your friends," said Naminé as she and Will sat at a nearby worktable. "My friends and I are here to bring those responsible to justice, and we're going to start by restoring your memories."

Naminé then summoned her sketchpad and a set of pencils. Will's eyes went wide in amazement.

"That's magic!" Will said, "real magic! I should know…because…" she sighed in frustration again, "it's on the tip of my tongue, but I just can remember."

"You'll remember soon," said Naminé as she began rapidly drawing. Within a minute she had a highly detailed rendition of Will's face on the paper.

"Wow," said an impressed Will, "you're good. One of my friends is really good at drawing to. I think she's…her name is…"

"In a minute you'll remember everything," said a smiling Naminé.

"Is this going to work the first time?" Aiden asked, "'cause when you tried to fix the memories of Usagi and Mamoru, it didn't work at first."

"This is something different," said Namine, "with Usagi and Mamoru, I was trying to restore memories from a previous life. In this case, I'm helping someone who's mind was damaged because of dark magic. Don't ask me how this is easier for me, the details are too complicated to put to words, but this will work." She then placed her hands on the sides of Will's head and concentrated. She sent a pulse of healing magic right into Will's mind, whom then gasped at the sudden influx of energy.

"That should do it," said Namine as she stood up, "how do you feel?"

"Like a TV set that's just been whacked to clear bad reception," said a slightly disoriented Will. She then blinked and shook her head, "wait…yeah…yeah! It's coming back! All of it!"

She stood up, "my friends, Irma, Taranee, Cornelia and Hay Lin! That day after the science fair, after school we all met at The Silver Dragon, the restaurant run by Hay Lin's family! Her grandmother, Yan Lin, told us all about our powers, how that we're the new generation of Guardians, and she gave me the crystal," she held up said glowing jewel, "The Heart of Kandracar!"

Will then began pacing back and forth, reciting her memories of her adventures with her friends, "this one time we thought our history teacher, Mr. Collins, was a monster sent by Phobos. That didn't turn out so well. And this one time we all got stuck inside an enchanted painting, except for Irma. And then there was the time we rescued Caleb's father from a slave mine."

"Do you remember how I found out about you guys?" Matt asked.

"As if I'll ever forget," said a smiling Will, "it was after we recovered The Seal of Phobos from Blunk, and The Heart of Kandracar absorbed it. That was the day of the downhill rollerblading challenge, and you came looking for us because you were worried that we didn't show up at the finish line.

"You saw us in our Guardian forms and then we saw you seeing us. I tried to explain, somehow, so you'd think you were hallucination, but you said you thought that it was cool that we had magic powers, and wings."

"Well of course you're cool to have wings," said a smiling Matt, "you can fly for crying out loud!"

"And I remember our first kiss," said Will, "it was after we learned Phobos' full plan. I tried to ask you to not get involved any more than you were, but you kept saying that you wanted to help in any way you could.

"I told you that I'd never forgive myself if anything happened to you, and you told me the same. And then we said we liked each other, and then we kissed."

"That's about it," said Matt.

"Well, I'm glad this worked out," said Naminé, "we can now go find the other's; Irma, Taranee, Cornelia and Hay Lin, and fix their memories."

"I've got a few questions to ask first," said Aiden. "One; what's The Seal of Phobos? Two; what's a Blunk? And three…" his face then contorted in disgust as he smelled something really awful, "and three, what in the name of sanity is that stench!"

"Good grief!" exclaimed Kairi as she held her nose, "what is that?"

"This has got to be the single most disgusting I've ever smelt in my life!" said Ranma, "and I know disgusting."

Sora looked and saw the source of the stench; a small green creature that looked to be a cross between a goblin and a frog, wearing a fitly red shirt and brown trousers.

"Oh," said an annoyed Caleb, "that's Blunk, a Passling who's been sort of a help to the rebellion, but deep down, he's still a smuggler."

"Retailer," insisted the green creature, Blunk, in a throaty, slightly raspy voice. He then saw Sora and the others, "oh! New customers! You need anything while in Meridian? Blunk find good merchandise, negotiate good price, yes?"

"Don't take anything he offers you," said Aldarn, "you never know for sure of it's stolen or not."

"The little one may be a resourceful scrounger," said Vathek, "but he's still a pain in the neck."

"Blunk vital part of rebellion!" insisted the Passling, "and Blunk not scrounger, wholesaler."

"He's not so bad," said Will, "once you get pass the smell, Blunk can be pretty nice."

"Will remember Blunk!" the Passling then hopped over to Will and hugged her, "Blunk so happy Will remember!"

"Yeah," said a slightly uncomfortable Will, "but there are some things I wish I could forget permanently."

Just then one of the rebels ran up to Caleb with bad news.

"We've got trouble coming!" said Caleb, "the enemy's gotten into the labyrinth through another entrance and they'll be here in five minutes!"

"Is there another way out?" Riku asked.

"None that are close enough," said Aldarn, "half our people will still be trapped underground by the time the enemy catches up with us."

"And with the streets above full of Heartless," said Vathek, "the other half will be slaughtered."

"Then we've got a choice," said Caleb, "either we risk getting lost in the labyrinth in hope of finding a safe exit, or we make a stand here."

"We're with you, Caleb!" shouted one of the rebels, "we're ready to fight to the end!" The other fighters shouted in eager agreement.

"Martyring yourselves won't solve anything," said Riku.

"There's always an alternate solution," said Kairi, "I can't think of anything right now, so I'm open to suggestions."

"We could transport everyone somewhere else through The Mobius Continuium," said Sora, "but there's no way we'll get everyone out in time if we can only take one person with us at a time."

"Well, it's a good thing I've got my brain working again," said Will as she held up The Heart of Kandracar. The crystal flashed bright pink and a portal appeared.

"Everyone through the portal!" said Will, "I'll open another one on Earth that'll take us somewhere else on Metamore that's safe."

"How's you think of that?" Caleb asked.

"It just came to me," said Will, "so, any ideas of a new rebel base?"

"I've got one or two," said Caleb. He then told Will of a location and she nodded in agreement. Will then went through the portal.

Caleb then spoke to his fellow freedom fighters, "everyone go through! I'll hold the line till the last second!"

"We'll stay to," said Sora, while Riku, Kairi, Aiden, Donald, Goofy, Ranma, Roxas and Namine nodded in agreement. They went to the tunnel opening where the enemy would exit from. They were joined by Caleb, and a few other rebels who decided to stay and hold the line.

"There's something we need to take care of!" said Aldarn, "we'll be right back!" With that he and Vathek ran off to a different part of the chamber.

One by one the rebels went through the portal with as much of their weapons, equipment and supplies as they could carry, but it would be several minutes before the hundreds of fighters were all safely out of the cavern.

Will then jumped back through the portal and ran up to Caleb, "The other portal us set up and the line is moving."

Sora and the others then heard the sound of dozens of angry enemy soldiers, Lurdens, and the stampeding of Heartless.

"Here comes more trouble!" said Roxas as he held up his Keyblades.

"You might want to keep back," said Naminé to Will, "you just got your memories back after all."

"And that's going to stop me from fighting?" Will asked as she held up The Heart of Kandracar again. There was a bright pink flash, and Will had transformed into her Guardian self.

"Now that's impressive!" said Kairi as she admired Will's Guardian outfit, especially the wings.

"Thanks," said a smiling Will as she hovered and did a midair summersault, stretching her wings.

Just then the first of the attacking Heartless burst through the tunnel, followed by several ranks of enemy soldiers and Lurdens.

Sora and the others easily dealt with the attacking Heartless and other enemies. Caleb and the handful of Rebels who stood behind were able to hold their own as well, but the real star of the battle was Will. She seemed to be everywhere as she flew across the chamber.

Sora and the others soon realized that one of the powers of a Guardian was increased strength, which Will displayed by ripping a Neo shadow in half, then by grapping a Large Body by the head and tossing it into a group of Lurdens. Will then flew circles around a Zip Slasher and kicked it into oblivion.

After a few minutes all of the attacking Heartless had been destroyed, while the remaining Lurdens and enemy soldiers were hesitant to attack.

"They're not so tough now," said Donald.

Just then a familiar angry roar echoed from the tunnel. The Lurdens and soldiers hastily got out of the way as Cedric slithered his way into the chamber.

"There will be no essscape thisss time," hissed Cedric as he reared up and prepared to attack.

"I don't think so!" shouted Will as she flew at Cedric and delivered a summersault kick to the head of the snake creature.

Cedric quickly recovered and lunged at Will, but she flew out of the way, barely missing his gnashing teeth by inches.

"Ssso, Guardian," hissed an irate Cedric, "your memoriesss are recovered. But you are jussst one! Without your friendsss, you are nothing!"

"Guess again, fang-face!" shouted Sora as he shot a Fireball at the snake creature, but it barely made Cedric flinch.

"We found Will!" shouted Kairi, "and we'll find the others!"

"And then we'll come back and tear Phobos off the throne and save Elyon!" shouted Riku.

"And in the meantime," said Ranma as he ran at Cedric, "this is for you," he jumped up and delivered a Cobra Punch to the snake creature's face, knocking Cedric back.

"That was Julia's special move," said Sora.

"And here's something I picked up from Andrew!" said Ranma as he jumped up and delivered a flying no-shadow kick to Cedric, knocking him back even further.

By then nearly all of the rebels had gone through the portal, leaving only those who chose to stay with Caleb.

"Now would be a good time to make a tactical withdraw," said Caleb.

"There isss no essscape for you, rebelsss!" shouted Cedric as he recovered from Ranma's attacks.

"How do you stop this thing?" Aiden asked.

Just then a baseball sized rock smacked into Cedric's left eye. The snake creature roared in pain as he clutched at his assaulted eye.

"How'd you like that, leather lips!" shouted Matt as held another rock, "and here's another!" he threw the rock and hit Cedric on the side of the head, but the rock did little damage.

"Now we need to go," said Will as she held up The Heart of Kandracar. The crystal produced a bright pink flash that blinded the remaining enemy soldiers and Lurdens. With that our heroes and allies headed for the portal.

"Wait!" said Caleb as they reached the portal, "What about Aldarn and Vathek?"

"Don't forget Blunk!" shouted the Passling as he jumped thought he portal.

Just then Vathek and Aldarn came running up to our heroes. With them was a girl, about 16 years old, with long brown hair and mixed eyes, one green the other blue. She wore a brown and gray jacket over a gray shirt, brown gloves, and brown pants and boots. All three of them were carrying several rolled up charts.

"Sorry we took so long," said Aldarn as he, Vathek and the girl reached the portal, "she wouldn't leave without the maps."

"All my hard work for nothing?" the girl asked, "I don't think so." With that she jumped through the portal, followed by Vathek and Aldarn.

"Ssstop them!" shouted Cedric as more soldiers, Lurdens and Heartless arrived in the chamber.

"I think we should be leaving now!" said Aiden.

"That's probably a good idea!" said Sora. Just then he had an idea, "follow my lead!" he threw a Strike Raid at the chamber ceiling, causing a large crack to form.

Kairi, Riku and Aiden also threw Strike Raids at the ceiling, while Roxas threw a double Strike Raid. The damage done by six Keyblades had destabilized the roof of the chamber and the ceiling began to collapse.

"The Infinite City is yours, Cedric!" shouted Caleb, "enjoy!" with that he, Will, Matt, Sora and the others all jumped through the portal, leaving Cedric and the other enemies to be buried alive.

* * *

The next thing Sora knew it was very bright outside. He and the others blinked in the sunlight and realized they were near a large bridge over a river in a modern city. Sora then saw a second portal nearby.

"This is your planet Earth?" Kairi asked Will as said Guardian used The Heart of Candracar to close the first portal.

"Yep," said Will, "Heatherfield, California, Earth; home sweet home." she then sighed, "oh man! My mom's gonna kill me! Come to think, Irma, Taranee, Cornelia and Hay Lin, we're all gonna die when our parents realize that our Astral Drops aren't us."

"Astral Drops?" Aiden asked.

"They're magical copies of us," said Will as she and the others went though he other portal. On the other side was a large forest where the hundreds of rebels waited for their leader to arrive. "Not very smart, but they can follow directions, so long as they're not too complicated."

"Oh, so they're kinda like Shadow Clones," said Sora, "we know a guy who can create hundreds of copies of himself."

"That's cool," siad Will as she powered down from her Guardian form and resumed her normal size, shape and attire, "my friends and I will have to talk to this guy. We sure can need some pointers. A few days ago, my friends and I prepared for a long stay in Metamore and instructed our Astral Drops as best we could, but by now our parents must know something's up."

Just then Sora and the others heard Caleb arguing with the girl with long brown hair.

"I don't care how much work you put into those maps, Tess!" said an irate Caleb, "I ordered everyone to evacuate. You should have gone through with the others! You risked the safety of everyone by waiting until the last second. Those maps aren't so important as to risk all our lives."

"And let the enemy know that we know their secrets?" the girl, Tess, asked, "if we'd left those maps behind, Phobos would know that his defenses has weaknesses that can be exploited. I'd hope you'd appreciate the fact that I risked my neck to get those secrets to you, Caleb, but it's clear that you're more concerned about the rebelion as a whole than about the lives of the individuals."

"I care for the lives of every rebel in my army," said Caleb, "I feel for each man and woman in the rebellion as if he and she were my family; and every casulty is like a knife to my heart. And for your informaiton, Ido appreciate that you risked your life," he then spoke in an angry tone, "but I don't appreciate your attitude. This rebellion depends on all of us working together to bring Phobos down. If we're to succeed, then there's no room for rouge elements. If you're going to stay with us, Tess Thatcher, then you need to stop acting like you're the only one fighting the war."

"Old habits die hard," said Tess, "I've been fighting alone since I was 11. I've killed more of Phobo's dogs in the past five years than I'd like to count, but I got the job done."

"Straightforward killing won't end the war," said Caleb, "we need to reunite The Guardains. They're the only ones who can convince Princess Elyon of the truth."

"And what good will Princess Elyon do for the world?" exclaimed Tess, her eyes blazing with fury, "where was Elyon when my life was ruined and I had to kill in order to survive! What has Elyon done now that she's back in Meridian? What has she done other than become so wrapped up in Phobos' lies that she betraied her own friends?"

From her pocket Tess pulled out a straight razor and opened it, "if I had the chance, I'd slit the throats of the entire royal family. We'd be better off without Phobos, Elyon and royalty in general."

"You don't mean that," said Will in a calming manner, "Elyon is still a good person in heart. I know that if she would just listen, if she would just give us a chance to talk, she'd believe the truth. When Phobos is gone and Elyon's the queen, everything will be alright in the world and everyone can start over. The same can be for you, Tess Thatcher."

"Don't try to patronize me,Guardian" said Tess in a voice full of contempt, "and don't call me that. Tess Tatcher has been dead for five years. I am The Razor," she pointed the straight razor at Will, "and don't you forget it." she then put her razor back into her pocket, "I do appreciate what you and your friends did for me last week, but now that I've finished those maps of the castle, my debt is paid in full. The first chance I get, I'm going off on my own again." With that she walked towards a rock under a nearby tree and sat down.

"What's her freaking problem?" an exasperated Aiden asked.

"Like the rest of us," said Caleb, "her life was ruined by the tyranny of Phobos."

"But with her, it's worse," said Will, "I remember now. It was a week ago when my friends and I found Tess cornered by The Heartless. Tess has a ability that allows her to be invisible. She could be in the middle of a crowded room and nobody would even see or hear her."

"But her ability doesn't really work on Heartless," said Caleb, "she can slip pass soldiers and Lurdens, and she even once managed to make it past Cedric, but The Heartless found her out and nearly killed her. And there's a limit to how long she can stay invisible. She told me that she tired several times to sneek into the castle to kill Phobos, but she became visible again before she could reach Phobos and had to run for it.

"But last wee wesaved her from The Heartless," said Will, "and she promised to go inside the castle and find an unguarded way in, Which she did," she then looked at Tess with sad pity, "but now that that's done, she's going off on her own again."

"So what?" Donald asked, "she doesn't seem like she wants to be here, so why try and stop her?"

"Because she's on the verge of losing herself to the darkness," said Riku as he looked at Tess, his face betraying a feeling that went beyond simple concern.

"That's what we all felt when my friends and I met her," said Will, "we know that when a Heartless is created when ones heart is consumed by darkness."

"Glad you know," said Aiden, "at least we don't have to explain that."

"But what about Tess?" Kairi asked, "why is she so immersed in the darkness?"

"No one really knows," said Will, "she didn't tell us, but my friends and I are sure that something terrible happened to Tess five years ago, something that filled her heart with so much rage and hate that she's been using her ability to assassinate enemy minions ever since."

"Well, then we'll just have to save her ourselves," said Riku.

* * *

**…Earth, China…**

"So, we're back on the Earth where the Forsaken One resides," said Erika as she and Rakel found themselves on a dirt road on a wooded mountain.

"We shouldn't worry about her so much," said Rakel, even though she really was nervous, "this is a big world with billions of humans. The chances of us running into her are so small that it's stupid for us to fret about it."

"Well the chances of us finding this Pantyhose Taro before Maleficent get's impatient are just as small," said Erika, "this one country alone, China, has a population of over one billion."

"Then we had best get started then," said Rakel, "the sooner we find this shape shifting dark martial artist, the sooner we're all back with the others. And the sooner we'll be back in Maleficent's good graces so we can go back to plunging worlds into the darkness."

"I can't believe that Maleficent sent both Nikolai and Katarina to Metamore," said Erika, "you'd think the two of them would cancel each other out."

"Nikolai's a genius," said Rakel, "and Katarina's such an airhead it's a wonder she doesn't float away on the wind. I'm sure the boss lady has her reasons, but at least those two are out of the picture for now. We can plan our eventual escape while we search. Who knows? Maybe this Pantyhose Taro may be the ally to us, one whom we can use to make our escape from Maleficent."

"Well, let's hope he's even willing to talk to us," said Erika, "and just what is this offer that you'll make that he can't refuse?"

"You'll learn when we find him," said Rakel, "now start walking. We won't find Pantyhose Taro by just standing in the dirt."

"You're standing around to, you know," muttered Erika as the two Hakonians walked up the path.

**The end of chapter 2.**

Next chapter, Sora and the others plan their next move in the rescue of The Guardians. Reviews will be rewarded with cake and pie. See you next time!


	3. Chapter 3: Saving Cornelia

Last time our heroes arrived in an underground labyrinth situated under Meridian, the capital city of Metamore. There they encountered the rebels and their leader, Caleb. Sora and the others then displayed their merit by defeating a large group of enemy minions and Heartless, while at the same time using The Möbius Continuum for the first time.

After encountering the serpentine monster, Cedric, our heroes then rescued Will Vandom, leader of The Guardians and Keeper of The Heart of Kandracar. Naminé then used her magic to heal Will's mind. Will then used her powers to safely evacuate all the Rebels to a safer location, where our heroes were introduced to one Tess Tatcher, The Razor, a rebel who's been fighting alone for so long she's about to lose herself to the darkness.

At the same time, Erika and Rakel arrived back on Sora's Earth in search of the shape shifting dark martial artist Pantyhose Toro. 'Nuff said, on with the show!

**Chapter 3: Saving Cornelia**

"So, what's the next move?" Ranma asked as our heroes sat on the edge of the forest and enjoyed the sunlight. After the gloominess of both aboveground and underground cities, it felt good to be out in the light again.

"We need to find the others," said Will, "Phobos has a lot more minions and Heartless than what you saw back in the city. And there's still that big one that beat us, that huge Chimericon Heartless that completely blew us away."

"What happened in that fight?" Kairi asked.

Will sighed, "we were totally unprepared for that thing. We can handle enemy soldiers and Lurdens without any trouble, and we've beaten a lot of Phobo's more vicious creeps. And The Heartless, the smaller ones, we could handle them as well, even when they attacked in large numbers.

"But that big one, the Chimericon, it was able to counter all of our powers. Even when we combined our attacks, it just blocked them and swatted us our of the air. That man with the staff was controlling the monster, and he ordered the monster to keep attacking until my friends and I were so exhausted that we were forced out of our Guardian forms.

"That's when Phobos hit us with that curse that messed up our memories and scattered us across the world. I don't know how I wound up back in Meridian, and who knows where Irma, Cornelia, Hay Lin and Taranee are?"

"We'll find them," said Naminé in a reassuring tone, "and I'll heal their minds in a flash."

"Then we'll go back to Meridian and rip Phobos off his dark throne once and for all," said Roxas.

"After we save Elyon of course," said Sora.

"You're forgetting one thing," said Aiden, "how are we going to find the other Guardians?"

"With this of course," said Will as she held up The Heart of Kandracar, "Caleb? Any chance you have a map of where we are?"

"I think so," said Caleb as he, Aldarn and Vathek went over the maps that Tess drew. Caleb pulled out a scroll that was a map of Metamore. The world was divided into three large continents and several islands. Caleb then pulled out a map of one of the continents and showed it to Will and our heroes.

"Here's Meridian," said Caleb as he pointed to one spot on the map, then to another spot, "and as near as I can tell, this is where we are."

"It's a big world alright," said Kairi as she checked the book King Mickey gave our heroes.

"It's a start," said Will as she held The Heart of Kandracar over the map and used it as a scrying crystal. She looked at Sora and the others, "back when we first started as Guardians, Hay Lin's grandmother, Yan Lin, gave us an enchanted map of Heatherfield that would show where a portal opened up. Then we'd run there and close it."

"Blunk help with that!" said the green passling, "Blunk can smell portals!"

"But can you smell yourself?" Riku asked.

The passling then sniffed himself, "Blunk smell good to Blunk."

"Yeah, well to the rest of us," said Matt in a disgusted tone, "you're indescribable."

"Flattery get Matt nowhere," said Blunk.

"I'm more worried about what's happening back on Earth," said Will as she looked at the map with her crystal over it, "I should have at least checked in with my mom when I was just there setting up the two portals."

"You had a lot going on," said Matt.

"I know," said Will, "but who knows what kind of mess my Astral Drop has gotten herself into? Those things aren't completely reliable, you know. And I hope Irma's Astral Drop is taking good care of Mr. Huggles. Or did I leave him at Hay Lin's place? Or was it Taranee's?" she closed her eyes in frustration, "my brain is still a little fuzzy."

"Who's Mr. Huggles?" Kairi asked.

"He's a dormouse that I found," said Matt, "and gave to Will as a gift."

"But I had to give him to Cornelia and the others," said Will, "my mom has this thing against pets, so Irma and the others have been taking turns keeping Mr. Huggles. So when we find the girls, I'll ask whose Astral Drop I gave him to."

"Any luck finding the other Guardians yet?" Sora asked Will.

"I just got started," said Will, "scrying isn't an exact science. But if any of the others are on this map, I'll find them." An orange spot appeared on the map in the area of the forest, "That's me, which I'm using as a point of reference."

Just then two more colored spots appeared on. One red at the far end of the continent that was a mountain range, the other one was green and was located a few inches from the orange spot that represented Will.

"That's Taranee!" said an excited Will as she pointed to the red spot, "and that's Cornelia!" she pointed to the green spot, "she's right here in this forest!"

"Then we'd better find her real fast!" said Caleb, "there's a lot of nasty creatures that live deeper in this forest."

"How far is she?" Sora asked.

"I'm not sure," said Will. She then stood up and the crystal pointed further into the woods, "but she's somewhere in that direction."

"Then that's where we'll go," said Riku, "here's my plan. We'll jump ahead a few miles using The Möbius Continuum and we'll check with the crystal. If we've overshot, the crystal will point in the other direction."

"Sounds like a plan to me," said Kairi, "Will, we'll jump together, and Sora can take Caleb," she eyed Caleb in a suspicious manner, "unless you have something better to do."

"No way am I staying behind!" said Caleb as he buckled his sword to his back, "I'm coming!"

"Me too!" said Matt, "I may not be able to do much to help, but where Will goes, I go."

"And I have to come as well," said Naminé, "I'm the one with the memory fixing power after all."

"And I'm coming to," said Roxas. "And if we're all going, then I think Naminé and I should be able to jump as well." He then briefly merged back into Sora, and reemerged into the real world. "Now I can used the Möbius Continuum."

"So can I," said Naminé after she also briefly merged back with Kairi.

"How'd you do that?" a surprised and confused Will asked.

"Long story," said Sora. "Okay, so now we're all set."

"We'll stay and help the rebels set up camp," said Riku, "we'll go save the other Guardians when we find them."

"And we can give the rebels a few pointers," said Aiden.

"Same with me," said Ranma, "I think that between me, Aiden and Riku, we can whip these guys into shape."

"Hey, my men are highly trained," said an annoyed Caleb. But then Sora grabbed Caleb by the arm, at the same time Kairi took Will's hand, while Roxas grabbed Matt and Naminé stood by herself. The seven of them then vanished into the Möbius Continuum.

They reentered the real world several miles from the rebel camp.

"What in the name of sanity was that darkness?" a shocked Matt asked, "is that how you people travel?"

"We use our own portals," said Sora, "but mostly to travel from one universe to another. When we're in our own universe, we have Gummy ships."

"Is that some kind of spaceship?" Will asked as she used The Heart of Kandracar to scry the area.

"Better than a starship," said Sora.

"Is Cornelia anywhere nearby?" Caleb asked.

"No," said Will, "she's still somewhere ahead."

"Then let's keep going," said Roxas as he grabbed Matt.

"Now wait just a damn…" they all entered the door into the primal darkness and exited out.

"…minute here!" said Matt as they reappeared several miles further away.

"Sorry to be abrupt," said Roxas.

"We're getting closer," said Will as the crystal glowed brighter, "one more jump ought to do it."

"You still haven't told me what all that blackness was," said Matt as everyone jumped into the Möbius Continuum, then jumped back into the real world.

"It's the primal darkness from which all of existence exploded from," said Naminé, "it's not evil, like The Heartless, but…it just is."

"Well it's still creepy," said Matt.

"I'm with you on that," said Will. Just then the crystal flashed brightly, "she's close by."

"How close?" Kairi asked.

Just then our heroes heard a girl scream in terror.

"I know that scream anywhere!" said a frantic Caleb as he drew his sword, "Cornelia!" he then dashed of into the bush.

"Caleb, wait!" shouted Sora, "we don't know what's out there!"

Just then eight Heartless appeared. At first glance the creatures appeared to be Neo Shadows, but had bark-like skin and claws that were shaped like roots.

"Didn't we see these guys on the Shinobi world?" Kairi asked as she, Sora and Roxas summoned their Keyblades.

"We called them Dryads," said Sora as the plant-like Heartless attacked. Sora blasted the first Dryad with a Fireball and incinerated it, then bisected another with a downward strike.

Kairi took out one with a Strike Raid, then cleaved another in half as her Keyblade spun its way back to her hands.

Roxas took out the rest with his two Keyblades, rendering them into mulch in seconds.

"Looks like someone has a gardening talent," said Naminé in a teasing manner.

"I'm just full of potential," said Roxas.

"How many types of Heartless are there?" Will asked as she used The Heart of Kandracar to find which direction to go again.

"More than I'd like to count," said Sora, "nearly each world has different Heartless types that adapt to that world. Some are a lot stronger than others."

"Let's hope we don't run into any of those," said Matt.

Will then found which direction to go and they all ran further into the woods. They soon caught up with Caleb, whom was surrounded by Dryads, as well as several Power Wilds.

"It never ends, does it?" Will asked. She then transformed with a bright flash and took to the air. She flew up to the nearest tree branch and jumped down onto one of the Dryads, stomping it into oblivion.

"What do I do?" Matt asked as he watched Will dodged a Powerwild that tried to claw at her.

"Just watch and learn," said Kairi, "you'll be amazed."

"Stop!" shouted Sora as he pointed his Keyblade at the offending Heatless, freezing them all in time.

"How'd you do that?" Caleb asked.

"It's a simple spell," said Kairi as she, Sora and Roxas began bashing the time-frozen Heartless as hard and as fast as they could before they became unfrozen.

After thirty seconds the spell wore off and the Dryads and Powerwilds self destructed.

"These woods are probably crawling with Heartless," said Roxas, "we'd better find Cornelia and get out of here as soon as possible."

Just then they all heard Cornelia screaming again.

"She's that way!" shouted Will as she pointed in the same direction the crystal was pointing. They all rushed through the woods to find a girl with long blond hair and wearing an orange shirt with a long brown skirt. He had a look of absolute terror as she backed up to a tree in order to get away from a single White Mushroom.

"Get away from me!" the girl, Cornelia, shouted with horror, "go away you monster!"

"Cornelia!" exclaimed Caleb as he ran over and stood next to the girl with his sword raised.

"What…who…?" Cornelia asked.

"We're friends!" Will said as she landed on Cornelia's other side.

"What the…?" exclaimed a shocked and confused Cornelia at the sight of Will, who, along with Caleb, prepared to attack the lone Heartless.

"Wait!" said Sora as he ran up to them, "don't attack! This type of Heartless is harmless."

"I thought they were all evil!" said Will.

"Not this kind," said Sora. By then Kairi, Roxas and Matt had caught up with them.

"Isn't that the type of Heartless that likes to be blasted by different spells?" Kairi asked.

"It plays a miming game," said Sora as he looked at the White Mushroom, "you got to guess what kind of spell it's miming and blast it with that spell. If you guess three in a row, you get a prize."

The White Mushroom then leaned back and fanned itself with its hand.

"Deep Freeze!" shouted Sora as he blasted the White Mushroom with a Blizzard spell. The White Mushroom danced for a second, acknowledging that Sora guessed right. It then shivered.

"Fire!" said Sora as he blasted the White Mushroom with a Fireball. Sora could have waited until the White Mushroom fanned itself again so he could get a much more rare item, but time was short.

The White Mushroom then hovered in the air. Sora shouted "Force!" hitting the creature with a Gravity spell. The White Mushroom danced again, then showered Sora with MP balls, dropped some rare items and vanished.

"These Heartless are weird," said Matt.

"You should see the Rare Truffles," said Sora as he picked up the dropped items, "now those are weird. Alright! A Mystery Goo!"

"Can someone please tell me what on Earth is going on here?" Cornelia asked as she began to calm down, "last thing I remember that doesn't give me a migraine is going to school on the day of the science fair, now I'm here, wherever here is, being attacked by walking mushrooms."

"I'll tell you this," said Will, "you're not in Heatherfield anymore." she then powered down to her normal attire and shape.

"Wait, I…I know you," said Cornelia, "you're…Will! Yeah, we met during the science fair. That creep Uriah and his cronies were teasing you about your name."

"That's right," said Will as she gave Cornelia a reassuring smile. "What else do you remember?"

"Uh…I was having trouble with our project," said Cornelia, "we were supposed to prove that too much fertilizer can kill a plant, but my plant was thriving for some reason. Things get a little fuzzy then…I think…wait…my friends…" she closed her eyes in frantic frustration, "I can't remember their names!"

"Don't panic," said Naminé as she summoned her sketchbook and a fresh pencil, "your mind has been affected by dark magic, by something we call the Swiss Cheese Effect. But everything's going to be alright soon, I promise." She opened her sketchbook to a fresh page and began drawing Cornelia.

"Do you remember me at all?" Caleb asked.

"I…I think so," said Cornelia in an unsure tone as she looked at Caleb, "you're…I do know you," she then blushed, "I know we're friends and we've been in a lot of sticky situations, but…what's your name? I'm sorry, your name is on the tip of my tongue, but I just can't remember."

"Caleb," said the rebel leader, "my name is Caleb."

"You'll have your memories back in a second, Cornelia," said Naminé as she finished Cornelia's portrait. She then placed her hands on Cornelia's head and sent a pulse of Healing magic right into her mind. Cornelia gasped at the sudden influx of energy.

"All done," said Naminé as she stood back, "how do you feel?"

"Like my head is a cell phone," said Cornelia as she placed her hand on her forehead, "one that's outside its coverage zone." She then blinked, "wait, wait a second! I remember! I remember everything!"

She then saw Will and embraced her like a long lost sister, "Will! I remember! I remember you, Taranee, Hay Lin, even Irma!"

"Welcome back, Corney," said a grinning Will.

Cornelia then looked extremely annoyed, "don't call me that! It's bad enough that Irma calls me that."

"I'm just filling in for Irma until we find her," said Will.

"Oh, that's right!" said Cornelia, "that big Heartless! How long has it been since Phobos blasted us with that curse? We still have to save Elyon! How much time is left before the coronation?"

"We've got less than two days," said Will, "but we have all the time we need."

"Our new friends can help us get to where we need to in no time," said Matt.

"You I remember," said Cornelia, "so, you're still okay with this whole Guardian and Heartless stuff, Matt?"

"I wouldn't be here if I wasn't," said Matt.

"Right," said Cornelia. She then looked at Caleb and blushed again, "and…I also remember you, Caleb."

"I'm glad you're alright, Cornelia," said a blushing Caleb, "I…I don't know what I would have done if something happened to you."

"I guess you were worried about me," said Cornelia.

"I guess I was," said Caleb.

_:There's definitely chemistry between them,: _said Kairi to Sora via their minds.

Just then the ground shook and the sound of a tree crashing was heard.

"Now what?" Matt asked.

As if to answer, a very large Heartless pushed its way through the trees towards our heroes. It looked like a Dryad, but was at least twenty feet tall and much uglier.

"This one's new!" shouted Sora as he and Kairi jumped out of the way of the oversized Heartless. "What do you want to call it?"

"It kinda reminds me of the Ents from Lord of the Rings," said Kairi, "so, how about Dark Ent?"

"Sounds like a winner to me," said Roxas as he hefted his Keyblades, "now let's kick it's ass!"

"Who are those guys?" Cornelia asked as she pointed at Sora, Kairi and Roxas.

"Our new friends," said Will, "I'll introduce them, and the others, later," she then held up The Heart of Kandracar, "are you ready for this?"

"Have I ever been ready for anything Guardian related since this whole mess started?" Cornelia asked in a tone that said she had just been asked a stupid question. She then smiled, "but yes, I'm ready."

The crystal then shot out two beams of magic at Will and Cornelia, and with a flash of pink and green light, they both transformed.

Sora, Kairi and Roxas had been bashing away at the Dark Ent, but the tree-like Heartless had bark that was as strong as iron and resisted all strikes against it. It was also faster than something its size should move.

Kairi barely dodged one large branch arm, then had to roll out of the way as it tried to squash her with its oversized feet.

The Dark Ent then shot several razor-edged leaves at Roxas. He blocked most of them with his Keyblades, but a few cut him on the arms.

Sora then blasted the Dark Ent with a Fireball, but it barely scratched the creature.

Just then Will and Cornelia delivered a double kick to the head of the tree-like Heartless, knocking it to the ground.

"This is the part that definitely like about being a Guardian," said Cornelia as she did a mid-air loop, "I know I've said that this whole saving the world business has ruined my life, but I wouldn't give up flying for anything."

"Glad you feel that way," said Will.

Sora then noticed that Caleb was gazing up at Cornelia with a look of awe and love that spoke volumes. But before Sora could comment on this, he had to roll out of the way as the Dark Ent got back on its feet again and sent out a wave of razor leaves.

Everyone dodged the leaves. Cornelia then countered by landing briefly on the ground and sending a pulse of magic at the Dark Ent, knocking it back to the ground with a concentrated earthquake. She then sent out another pulse of magic that trapped the tree-like Heartless in a patched of summoned vines.

"That won't hold it forever," said Cornelia as she stood up.

"We need to find that things' weakness," said Kairi, "fire isn't it, and I don't think water will work either."

"Then how about this!" shouted Sora as he raised his Keyblade, "Thunder!" he blasted the Dark Ent with a bolt of lighting, but that only stunned the creature.

"That thing's bark is insulating it," said Roxas. He then smiled, "wait, I've got an idea that may just crack this thing open like an egg," he looked at Cornelia, "can you keep it down for a another minute or so? I need a running start for this to work."

"I'll try," said Cornelia as she summoned more vines to ensnare the tree-like Heartless. The creature had recovered from the Thunder spell and was struggling to break free of the vines.

"What are you going to do?" Naminé asked Roxas.

"Something really cool," said Roxas, "I think I just came up with my own signature move." He the backed up about 30 paces. Roxas then raised his Keyblades, first Oblivion, "Hell!" then Oathkeeper, "and Heaven!" he then ran at the Dark Ent, just as the creature was breaking free of the vines.

Roxas struck the Dark Ent with both Keyblades and ran past it. The force of the running strike did indeed crack the armor-like bark of the tree-like Heartless.

"Now!" shouted Sora as he and Will both blasted the creature at the crack, further enlarging it until the crack had covered the creature's entire body. Cornelia then sent another concentrated earthquake at the Dark Ent and it shattered. The shards dissolved into black smoke and from that smoke rose a large crystalline heart that vanished into the air.

"I told you it'd be cool," said Roxas as he put his Keyblades away.

"That was awesome," said Will as she and Cornelia powered down.

"A definite signature move," said Kairi.

"It was cool," said Cornelia, "now, who are you guys?" she asked Sora, Kairi, Roxas and Naminé.

"I'm Sora.

"Kairi.

"The name's Roxas."

"I'm called Naminé."

"We're here to help," said Kairi, "we're going to find the other Guardians, restore their memories, save Elyon and rip Phobos off of the throne, hopefully in that order."

"Oh, right, Elyon," said Cornelia in a serious tone, "we've still got to convince her that we're not the enemy."

"And we can figure that out once we find the others," said Will, "but first let's get back to the camp."

"What camp?" Cornelia asked.

"We lost The Infinite City," said Caleb, "when you and the others were separated, Phobos had his soldiers and Heartless find most of the entrances to the labyrinth. We had to evacuate."

"How'd you get everyone out?" Cornelia asked.

"I figured out how to use two portals," said Will, "but Sora and his friends have a different way of travel."

"You might want to brace yourself," said Naminé as she took Cornelia's hand, "the Möbius Continuum isn't a nice place to see for the first time." Kairi took Will's hand, while Sora and Roxas grabbed Caleb and Matt.

"The what Continuum?" Cornelia asked. But then Naminé, for it was her turn this time, opened the door and they all stepped through.

* * *

Back in Meridian it has started to rain. The area of the city where the battle had taken place was cordoned off by hundreds of enemy soldiers, Lurdens and Heartless. At the site of the collapsed tunnel, dozens of people, the improvised and repressed citizens of the city, toiled away at digging the tunnel out. Several more soldiers harassed the diggers with whips, 'encouraging' them to dig faster.

Observing the work was Prince Phobos. He stood there on a hastily erected platform, with a pair of Lurdens holding up a canopy to keep the rain off of him, glaring at the dig site. He had no concern for the nearly exhausted people digging in the by now torrential downpour, only that progress was being made.

One of the soldiers ran up to the usurping prince and knelt, "Still no sign of him, Prince Phobos."

"Tell those lazy oafs to dig faster," siad Phobos.

"With all due respect, my lord," said the soldier, "the people have been digging nonstop since the incident. They're being pushed to their limits and are on the verge of collapsing."

"Then go round up more workers, you imbecile!" snapped Phobos, "and spread the word that any citizen who collapse while working will not only lose his or her life, but the lives of their extended families as well."

"Yes, my lord Phobos," said the soldier, who then ran off to carry out his orders.

"It's no wonder you have such a troublesome rebellion on your hands," said a male voice. Standing next to Phobos was Nikolai Shadowstalker, warlock and Hakonian. The youthful-looking dark magic user had transformed his staff into a large umbrella and was quite dry despite the heavy rain.

Nikolai looked at the nearly exhausted people digging, "Even my people, when we had an empire that had an iron grip on multiple galaxies, we knew that there was a limit to how far you could squeeze the masses before they strike back. We always made sure that had just enough to keep them content. We also made sure to fill their minds with propaganda designed to keep them loyal and pacified, and to discourage even the notion of the thought of freedom."

"I don't recall asking for your opinion on how to run my kingdom," said an annoyed Phobos, "your mistress, Maleficent, sent you here to advise on how best to use The Heartless, not to interfere with matters of state."

"Of which I have a highly elaborate opinion," said Nikolai, "but I will restrain myself on this subject, for the time being."

Just then something very large exploded out from the mud, launching dozens of the toiling people and overseeing soldiers into the air.

The creature roared in rage as the rain washed the mud from its scaly body, revealing it to be a highly irate Cedric.

One of the launched soldiers landed on the platform in front of Phobos, "We've found him, Prince Phobos!" he groaned before passing out.

"Is it really that obvious?" Phobos asked.

The disarrayed yet still coherent Cedric slithered over to Phobos, "My lord, Phobosss," said the creature, "I had her, the Guardian Leader. I had her at my mercy and wasss about to destroy her, but…"

"But what?" Phobos demanded, "did the rebel leader save the girl? Did she recover her memories and use her powers to fly away? Well? What pathetic excuse to you have this time, Cedric!"

"There wasss an unforssseen interference," said Cedric, "an unknown girl with a ssstrange sssword appeared and took the girl with her. They both sssimply dissssapeared."

"You expect me to believe this?" an irate Phobos asked. "that a complete stranger with an odd sword would just pop in and pop out with the Guardian Leader?"

"This strange girl," said Nikolai in a cautious tone, "how strange was her sword?"

"It bore a resssemblance to a key," said Cedric.

"And was the girl with the sword, the Keyblade," said Nikolai, "was she alone? Or where there others with similar swords?"

"There were three other children with the girl," said Cedric, "three human boysss, all with thessse Keybladesss asss you call them. There wasss another human boy, a martial artissst. And there were two creaturesss, one usssed wizard magic, the other carried a large ssshield."

Nikolai then sighed and looked up at the storm above, "and so fate crosses my path with that of The Keyblade Wielders once again."

"You speak as if you know these Keyblade Wielders," said Phobos.

"Only by reputation," said Nikolai, "I have seen images of their exploits, but have yet to meet them face to face. To make a long story short, they are the enemies of my mistress and of my people as well."

"Then we have another common ground to stand upon," said Phobos in a calmer, more businesslike manner, "for these meddling brats are my enemies as well. Tell me more."

"I would gladly tell what I know of them," said Nikolai. He then looked up at the storm again, "but mine is a tale to tell in less hospitable conditions."

"I agree," said Phobos, "we shall continue this discussion in a more comfortable environment." He then glared at Cedric, "in the meantime you had better come up with a believable report to explain this latest fiasco. I grow tired of your inability to destroy our enemies, even with the addition of The Heartless."

"Yesss, Prince Phobosss," hissed Cedric.

A short time later found Nikolai accompanying Phobos through the gloomy corridors of the dark castle. With them was the now mud-free and dry Cedric.

"So now these outworlders dare to interfere with my affairs," said Phobos after hearing what Cedric had to say about the recent incident, "and their interference has allowed the rebels to escape to another location, with the Guardian leader's memories returned to her."

"That would be the sorceress Naminé," said Nikolai, "Xemnes and Organization XIII employed her for a time. They sought to exploit her power over memories, but like all their plans, it backfired."

"And what of the others?" Phobos asked, "the Keyblade Wielders?"

"Sora is the leader," said Nikolai, "he took up his Keyblade first. Riku was once a pawn of Maleficent, and for a time, the boy was possessed by a powerful Heartless, whom sought dominance over Kingdom Hearts. But Riku overcame the darkness in his heart and now walks in the light.

"Kairi was a Princess of Heart, one of seven girls with extremely pure hearts that were bound by magic. Maleficent sought to exploit these seven girls in her own attempt to open the door to Kingdom Hearts. I'm ashamed to admit it but that plan failed as well.

"But now there is a new set of Princesses of Heart. Three have been identified already, yet Maleficent wishes to wait until the remaining four are found, and that all seven have fully developed their powers, so that the magic that will unlock Kingdom Hearts will be at its most potent.

"Which brings me to the fourth Keyblade Wielder, Aiden Mackenzie, the Keyblade Alchemist."

"An alchemist you say?" Phobos asked.

"That one has the identities of all seven Princesses of Heart in his subconscious mind," said Nikolai, "he will recognize the girls when he sees them, but not until. For the time being, Maleficent wishes for Aiden Mackenzie to have his freedom so he will find the remaining Princesses for us."

"These Keyblade Wielders intrigue me," said Phobos in a contemplative manner, "and their weapons, The Keyblades, they are effective against The Heartless?"

"Highly effective," said Nikolai. He then saw someone up ahead in the corridor and sighed in annoyance, "for a moment I had forgotten about this one."

Up ahead was a girl in her late teens with long indigo hair, burgundy eyes and wearing a red and yellow dress that accented her sensual figure. The girl, Katarina Heartbreaker, another Hakonian, gazed out a window at the raging storm.

"Would you look at that rain," said an amazed Katarina, "I'm glad I didn't go out in that. All the outfits I brought on this trip are dry clean only."

"Then you should have prepared a wardrobe better suited for foul weather, you incredible nincompoop," said an annoyed Nikolai. He looked at Phobos in an apologetic manner, "I'm sorry for my comrade's behavior. Despite Katarian's connections in our race, and her impressive powers, she is still rather dense in the head."

"I've had plenty of practice in dealing with dense subordinates," said Phobos, "there is nothing to apologize for. Yet I must ask; why do you tolerate the girl if you're unhappy with her lack of intelligence?"

"Her family can be considered Hakonian royalty," said Nikolai, "had Katarina been born with just half a brain, she would be our unofficial queen," he sighed, his face betraying thoughts of a bygone age, "had our empire not fallen due to that meddling Doctor, Katarina would be the empress of entire galaxies."

He sighed again then got serious, "that time has long gone. Now we Hakonians serve a new, more darker cause, and you Prince Phobos, have the opportunity to be part of that cause. As I said upon arriving on this world, Maleficent can offer you unlimited access to countless worlds for you to drain of their magic, if you are willing to form an alliance with the true mistress of evil."

"And as I said upon first hearing those words," said Phobos, "I will be more than happy to negotiate an alliance with your mistress, after I've obtained my sisters' powers and destroyed all opposition on this world, meaning that I must first eliminate the rebels and The Guardians."

"Of which I said I would be more than glad to give assistance," said Nikolai, "I brought along that upper-level Heartless, the Chimericon that defeated The Guardians, yet you squandered your chance to destroy them once and for all."

"I told you at the time," said an irate Phobos, "I wanted those girls, whom have been thorns in my side for far too long, to suffer. I scattered them across the world with their memories damaged beyond repair, and left them to die."

"And yet the leader of The Guardians has recovered her memories," said Nikolai, "all thanks to the meddling brats, but nevertheless, they were given the chance, all due to your inability to follow through. If you had just finished off The Guardians when you had the chance…"

"Don't you dare tell me how to run my own kingdom!" snapped Phobos, "this is my world! My kingdom! And you will remember to give me the respect I deserve!"

"And you will remember not to threaten me!" snapped Nikolai, "I am among the most powerful dark magic users of the Hakonian race, and I will not be threatened by some pathetic prince who cannot even crush a simple band of rebels!" The two Villains glared at each other, each waiting for one more provocation to attack.

"Boys! Boys!" said Katarina in an admonishing tone as she stepped between Nikolai and Phobos, "we're all on the same side here, so let's play nice. Besides, the real enemy is outside, in the rain."

"That'sss right," hissed Cedric, "the rebelsss and The Guardiansss are ssstill a threat, asss are the Keyblade Wieldersss."

"True," said a much calmer Phobos, "our enemies are still at large. There is still so much to be done and not much time to complete those tasks."

"True," agreed Nikolai. He then looked at Katarina in a respectful manner, "though you lack a brain, your wisdom far makes up the difference."

"Oh, you're such a tease, Nikolai," said a smiling Katarina. She then hugged Nikolai, nearly squeezing the life out of him in a bone-scraping embrace. She released him and he gasped for breath.

"Her ssstrength alssso compensssatesss for her lack of intelligence," said Cedric.

"True," said Phobos. The Villains then all walked down the corridor and reached Phobos' dark throne room. The throne sat atop a tall platform that was reached by a narrow set of stairs.

"What of the others with The Keyblade Wielders?" Phobos asked as he ascended the steps and sat on his throne.

"The wizard and the shield bearer were the original companions of Sora," said Nikolai, "Donald is highly impulsive and quick to temper, while Goofy is nearly as slow in the head as someone else I know," he looked at Katarina, "but there's no denying either of their fighting skills.

"As for the martial artist, Ranma Saotome, he possesses unparallel physical prowess, as our scaly friend would attest," he looked at Cedric, "strength enough that Maleficent wishes to use him. She refers to the boy as The Child of Chaos due to his involuntary power to cause trouble wherever he goes."

"The boy will receive more trouble than he barged for," said Cedric, "when I next sssee thisss Ranma Sssaotome, he will wisssh he had never been born."

Just then a girl's voice could be heard outside the doors to the throne room, "Phobos?"

"Who's that?" Katarina asked.

The two Hakonians heard Phobos swear under his breath as he stood up and cast a glamour spell on the throne room, changing the atmosphere to a more brighter, more nature-themed one.

At the same time, Cedric hastily slithered behind a column, and with a flash and crackle of blue energy, transformed into a tall human male in his early 20's with long blond hair tied into a ponytail and gray eyes, wearing green and black robes.

The double transformations completed just as the doors to the room opened. A girl walked in. She was about 13, with straw-blond hair and friendly ice-blue eyes. She wore a bright green and white dress.

"My dear sister, Elyon," said Phobos in a much warmer, kinder tone, "you surprised me with this visit. Aren't you supposed to be repairing for your coronation? It's in less than two days, and I'm sure you have so much more to do."

"I know," said Elyon as she smiled at her brother, "but I wanted to see you. You've been so busy lately."

"Your brother has been catching up on critical matters of state," said Cedric in a elegant, human voice, "in two days time you shall leave behind the title of Princess and become Queen Elyon. The amount of work required for the transference of stately power can be overwhelming at times."

"As well as other matters," said Phobos in a more serious tone, "I'm afraid the rebels are preparing for a major attack soon, possibly on the castle itself during your coronation."

"Those people just won't listen to reason," said an irate Elyon as her fists clench in anger, "I've tried to tell them that you've been a good ruler while I was on Earth, that you've governed with kindness and compassion, but they still won't listen.

"And of course, my 'friends,' Will, Irma, Taranee, Hay Lin, and especially Cornelia, they're right in the middle of it all. They're hell bent on making my life miserable, and to make the people of this world suffer. Well not any more!"

Elyon looked at Phobos, "I can promise you this, big brother; the first thing I'll do when I'm queen is to make sure the so called Guardians leave Metamore and never come back. Then I'll deal with the rebels, those warmongering idiots, myself. Then things will finally go in the right direction again in this world."

"I'm sure you'll keep that promise, dear sister," said Phobos, "but you can relax somewhat. I've made sure that your former friends will not interfere with your coronation. I used a spell that separated them across the world. By the time they all return to the city, it will be too late for them. You will be queen and all the powers that go with it will be yours."

"I can't wait to banish them forever," said Elyon, "I'll show them that I'm not someone that can be pushed around." She then noticed Nikolai and Katarina. "Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't realize we had company."

"I didn't want to bother you with such a tedious matter," said Phobos as he quickly thought of a lie, "these good people are…representatives of another world. Several worlds in fact, here to negotiate a trade agreement with our world, one that would surely benefit your rule as queen."

"Princess Elyon," said Nikolai in a diplomatic tone as he got into the lie, "I am Nikolai…Starfinder. I greet you in the name of peace, friendship and mutual monetary gain for both our races."

"And I also greet you in the name of peace and friendship," said Elyon, "I hope that we'll be able to work together in the future. What sort of trading do your people do?"

"All sorts," said Nikolai, "we deal in the transportation of goods across worlds, rather than specialize in just one product. We can transport anything from grains, livestock and other foodstuffs, to construction materials, to escorting travelers. If you have something you wish to move, we can move it."

"That sounds wonderful," said a smiling Elyon, "when things calm down here on Metamore, we'll be able to concentrate on imports and exports. Hopefully I'll be able to rebuild this worlds' economy without too much trouble."

"If there is anything I can do to help with that," said Nikolai, "just ask."

"And I can be in charge of the fashion department," said Katarina as she also got into the lie, "this whole gothic look this world has is so bland."

"I know," said Elyon, "I was thinking about hiring an interior decorator for the castle, but why stop there? Why not give the entire kingdom a makeover?"

"I can help with that!" said an eager Katarina.

"This is my…associate," said Nikolai, "Katarina…Brightlane."

"I'm very happy to meet you, Ms. Brightlane," said Elyon.

"And I'm really happy to meet you," said Katarina, "it's not every day you get to give fashion advice to a princess."

"Well, if you're advising," said Elyon, "would you care to advise me on my wardrobe? And while we're at it, you can look at my coronation gown. You'll love it when you see it, but to me, it's missing something."

"I'll see what I can do," said Katarina, "after all, us girls have to stick together."

As the two girls gossiped about fashion, Nikolai had a hushed conversation with Phobos, "she actually believes you to be a loving brother."

"An act I will gratefully discard soon enough," said Phobos, "I admit, I have enjoyed deceiving Elyon. Through the use of dark magic and the right words, I've completely convinced Elyon that I love her, and that the rebels and her former friends, The Guardians, are the enemies of this world."

"I'll wager that if you told her that the world was flat," said Nikolai, "she'd believe you whole heartily."

"That she would," said Phobos, "alas, the game is almost at its inevitable conclusion. The only thing left is to see the look of betrayal and despair on Elyon's face when I reveal my true self. I cannot wait to see the look of hopelessness in her eyes as I drain her life force and magic, leaving her nothing more than a withered husk that I will then turn into a black rose. She will make a beautiful addition to my private garden."

"I'm sure she will," said Nikolai. "I would like to see your garden once you've planted your sister."

"Phobos," said Elyon, "Katarina and I are going to plan out my new wardrobe."

"I'm sure you'll both enjoy yourselves," said Phobos

"Before you girls leave to discuss things that would only baffle a simple man such as myself," said Nikolai, "could I have a quick word with Katarina? It won't take long."

"Sure thing," said Katarina as she walked over to Nikolai, "what's up?"

"You know what's up," whispered a serious Nikolai, "even a dunce such as yourself should see that Phobos has Elyon wrapped around his finger, and it would ill behoove us and Maleficent if you were to shatter the illusions Phobos created for her."

"What are you saying?" Katarina asked in an annoyed tone, "that I'm not good enough of a Villain to stay out of trouble?"

"Just don't do anything that would endanger us," said Nikolai, "if you do anything that would put us at risk, I'll have Rakel put the Evil Eye on you until you die."

"Don't you threaten me," said an irate Katarina, "you may know more about magic and a lot of things that I don't understand, but I know enough that if you rip someone's head off, it won't go back on no matter how hard you try."

"I'm not trying to get you angry," said Nikolai in a placating manner, "I just want to make sure that you remember to hold your silence on certain subjects."

"That's all?" Katarina asked, "why didn't you say so! You really think I'm an idiot? Please, I'm not as think as you dumb I am. I know how to take care of myself!" She smiled and walked back to Elyon.

"So, Elyon," said Katarina, "do you like cats? I just adore them. I was thinking about a feline theme for some of the rooms here."

"I like cats," said Elyon as the two girls exited the throne room, "and maybe we can do a dog-themed room, and one with birds, and one with fishes."

"Oh! And one for butterflies!" said Katarina, "and one for foxes! They're so cute!"

The doors to the throne room closed after them. Phobos then released the glamour on the room, returning it to its dark atmosphere.

"Thank the darkness," said Nikolai as he sighed with relief, "I don't know how much longer I could take all that cheerful atmosphere."

"We've had to suffer it far longer than you have," said Cedric. He them morphed back into his serpentine form, "and we won't have to sssuffer for much longer."

"Soon it will all be over," said Phobos, "all the illusions and deceptions. But all my plans will become moot unless The Guardians and The Keyblade Wielders are eliminated."

"Then we must move fast and destroy our enemies before they can move against us," said Nikolai. He then summoned several drawings of various Heartless types, "I hope these dark constructs will be to your liking. Those you find pleasing can be summoned."

Phobos then looked at the various Heartless types, "yes, these will do nicely."

* * *

"Have you any idea of where you're going?" Erika asked Rakel as they continued to trudge their way through the mountainous forest in China.

"You've asked me that twice in the last five minutes," said an irate Rakel, "if you don't shut up," she pulled out a switchblade and opened it, "I'll gouge out your eyeballs!"

"I'm just asking because the thought of walking around on this backwater dust ball of a world with you forever isn't a pleasant thought," said Erika.

"Oh relax already," said Rakel, "I know what I'm doing."

"You're completely lost, aren't you," said Erika, "which makes me lost as well."

"We're not lost," said Rakel, "we're in China on Planet Earth. That much I know."

"Well China is still a big country," said Erika, "for all we know, this Pantyhose Taro doesn't even live here."

Just then Erika stepped on a hidden tripwire, and the next thing she and Rakel knew, they were ensnared by a spring-loaded rope launcher that had them completely tied up before they could react.

"What the hell!" exclaimed Erika as she struggled against the ropes, "how the hell did this happen?"

"You must have activated some kind of booby trap, you boob!" snapped Rakel as she also struggled against the ropes, but for some reason, they seemed to get tighter.

"Don't blame me for this!" snapped Erika, "you're the one who got me on this mission!" She then got a good look at the ropes and realized that they weren't normal rope, the kind made of woven hemp or natural fiber. It was made of a synthetic material, one that felt like nylon.

Just then a man in his early 20's wearing a green, sleeveless kung fu outfit and had long curly black hair, appeared in front of the two captive Hakonians. He wore an orange belt that was in truth a pair of nylon stockings.

"Well, what have we here?" the man asked, "a pair of woman travelers looking for little old me."

"I take it, from your strange belt," said Rakel, "you're Pantyhose Taro."

"Don't call me that!" snapped the man, obviously Pantyhose Taro, "nobody calls me that and lives!"

"Ranma Saotome calls you that," said Erika, "yet you haven't killed him yet."

Pantyhose Taro then looked at Erika with confusion and anger, "what do you know about that hermaphroditic freak?"

"He's a really strong martial artist," said Rakel, "one that has way too many fiancées, and he's an enemy of our mistress."

"Well, if your mistress is an enemy of that cross-dressing bastard," said Pantyhose Taro as he used a small knife to cut the nylon ropes on Erika and Rakel, "then she is my friend. But why have you come looking for me?"

"Our mistress, the true mistress of all evil," said Rakel, "she has heard of your ability to become a chimerical creature, and is impressed by what she heard. Our mistress, Maleficent, has sent us to offer you a chance to destroy Ranma Saotome once and for all, as well as destroy some of her other enemies at the same time."

"We want you to come with us back to our place of operations," said Erika, "and meet Maleficent. I'm sure she will be able to offer you something to your liking for your services."

"Ah, you see," said Pantyhose Taro in an explaning manner, "that's the thing. I serve no one but myself. I'm my own man, a man who listens to no authority but himself. I go where I want, do whatever I want, to whomever I want, whenever I want to do it. So, no, ladies, I won't be going with you to meet your mistress.

"However, I may be persuaded, for the right enticement that is."

"If you're trying to get in the sack with me, buster," said an irate Erika, "you've got another thing coming!" she glared at Rakel, "this is Sontaran crap! We so don't need this jerk!"

"But Maleficent wants him for his powers," said Rakel, "and I still have my ace to play," she then looked at Pantyhose Taro, "are you sure you won't meet with Maleficent? Because there is still the matter of your name."

"What about my name?" Pantyhose Taro asked, "only my idiot of a godfather can change it."

"Got him," Rakel whispered to Erika. She then spoke to Pantyhose Taro, "what if I were to tell you that your agreeing to work for Maleficent would almost guarantee you a new name, a better, more fitting name for a man of your caliber?"

"A new name," said Pantyhose Taro in a distant tone, "it's been my most desperate wish for as long as I could remember. I would almost do anything for a new name," he then glared at Rakel, "but that would never happened. My godfather is one of the most stubborn people on Earth. There's no way a woman like you could convince him to change it, despite your attributes, albeit a very cute girk at that."

"My being a woman has nothing to do with it," said Rakel, "and despite my looks, I'm a lot older than you thing. Regardless of me, and my colleague Erika, at least consider the possibility of earning a new name. At least come with us to meet Maleficent, here what she has to say on her offer, and still consider the chance of destroying Ranma Saotome."

"That still leaves my godfather," said Pantyhose Toro, "I doubt even Maleficent, this mistress of all evil, could convince him."

"Maleficent can be very convincing," said Erika, "come on! What do you have to lose except a few hours of your time? Tell me, do you have anything better to do today?"

Pantyhose Taro looked at Erika while he tried to think of a valid reason not to go, other than the fact that these were two total strangers who wanted to take him somewhere potentially dangerous. But then, he was a highly accomplished dark martial artist that could turn into a monster with just a drop of cold water. He had nothing to fear by trying.

"Alight," said Pantyhose Taro, "take me to your mistress and I'll hear her out."

"Smashing," said a wickedly smiling Rakel. She then summoned a Dark Corridor, "This way if you would," she walked into the Dark Corridor.

"What is this?" Pantyhose Taro asked in a confused tone, "is this magic?"

"Of a sorts," said Erika, "well? Are you going to stand there looking like an idiot?"

"I'm no idiot," said Pantyhose Taro in an annoyed tone. He then walked into the Dark Corridor.

"Huh," said Erika as she walked into the Dark Corridor, "this has gone easier than I thought." the Dark Corridor closed after her.

**The end of chapter 3.**

Next chapter, our heroes set out to find the next Guardian, while Phobos and Nikolai prepare their next move. At the same time, another baddie will be given a choice that may cost him his freedom, but would gain him his heart's desire. Reviews will be rewarded with cake and pie. See you next time!


	4. Chapter 4: The Thing in the Dungeon

Last time found Sora, Kairi, Roxas and Naminé as they went with Will, Matt and Caleb to rescue Cornelia from a swarm of plant-based Heartless, oncluding one massive tree-like Boss. After healing Cornelia's mind, our heroes fought and defeated the new Boss type Heartless, then returned to the new rebel base.

Back in Meridian, Phobos admonished Cedric for his failure. Nikolai and Phobos almost got into a fight over how best to use Heartless, but Katarina showed a surprising amount of common sense and broke up the fight before it began, which goes to show that even the densest of Villains have wisdom. After impressing Nikolai with his control over Elyon, Phobos and Nikolai got down to business again. At the same time, Katarina went with Elyon to give the brainwashed princess some fashion pointers.

On Earth, Rakel and Erika found Pantyhose Taro and convinced the dark martial artist to go with them to New Hollow Bastion. 'Nuff said, on with the show!

**Chapter 4: The Thing in the Dungeon**

"So, who's next to save?" Sora asked as everyone gathered around the map of the world.

"Taranee," said Will as she held the crystal over the map of the continent, "I still haven't located Irma and Hay Lin." The green dot that represented Cornelia was right next to the orange dot that represented her. At the other end of the map, right in the middle of a mountain range, was the red dot, symbolizing the Fire Guardian.

"According to the book King Mickey gave us," said Kairi, "those mountains once held a lot of iron mines."

"They did," said Caleb in a tone that spoke of deep anger, "before Phobos decided to rip the ore out of the mountains, at the expense of thousands of innocent lives. At the same time he had the soil of the mountains exhausted through over-farming. Nothing can grow there and there's nothing left in those mountains but useless rock."

"Just how crazy is Phobos anyway?" Aiden asked, "I know he's evil, I've seen enough of Villains to know one by just their reputation, but even the worst of tyrants wouldn't force thousands of innocent people to work till their deaths, at least not where I came from."

"Right," said Roxas, "on your world they have a military that uses it's State-funded Alchemists to secretly start wars in order to expand the nations' territory."

"Those rumors have never been proved," said an annoyed Aiden, "it's my friend Travis who believes all those conspiracy theories about the government out to take over the world, and Travis is surely a full State Alchemist by now, him and Kaylee."

"You may be from a different world," said Cornelia, "and these two," she looked at Donald and Goofy, "I don't even what to know where they're from, but I can tell you this; Phobos is crazy and evil enough to turn my best friend against me and the others," she sighed in frustration, "we should have told Elyon the truth the second we found out she was the princess. None of this would have happened if I had just told her the truth."

"We couldn't have known how she would have reacted," said Will in a reassuring manner, "You saw how freaked out Elyon got when she saw us in our Guardian forms the first time."

"I know that she would have at least trusted us if we had been honest," said Cornelia, "I don't know how we could have told her about our having magic and wings that wouldn't have freaked her out at least somewhat, but at least she wouldn't hate us right now. At least we wouldn't have lied to her so much that we pushed her into the arms of the enemy"

"Are you still saying that this is my fault?" Will asked in an annoyed tone, "That my decision to keep things quiet about the truth, to not tell Elyon that she's the princess, that it was me who got us into this whole rotten mess?"

"No," said Cornelia, "I'm not blaming you, Will."

"Well it sure sounds like it," said an irate Will. Sora and the others could tell that the stress of the situation was starting to get to Will. Kairi was about to say something that would have calmed Will down, but Cornelia spoke first.

"I am not blaming you at all, Will," said Cornelia in a depressed yet honest tone, "I'm just…" she closed her eyes and sighed, "I'm just tired of not knowing what's going to happen. I just wish we had a clear idea of what to expect next.

"First we find out that we have magic powers, with wings and awesome outfits to boot no less, and we're supposed to use our powers to protect the world and free another from a psychotic tyrant. Then we find out that my best friend is this long lost princess of the enslaved world and that evil prince Phobos is looking for her. Then we find out that the enemy has turned Elyon against us, and our not telling Elyon the truth didn't help at the same time."

She looked at Will, "I'm still not blaming you, so don't even say it, Will.

"Then we find out that not only Elyon hates us, but she thinks that the rebels are evil and completely believes everything Phobos tells her. Then The Heartless, these monsters of living darkness, they show up and make things a lot worse, as if things weren't bad enough already. Then that big Heartless, that Chimericon attacked and we get our butts kicked, and then Phobos scrambled our brains and separates us. And now we have less than two days to save Elyon from a fate worse than death. What next?" she asked in an exasperated tone, "I'm asking you guys, what next?"

"Blunk know what next," said the small green creature as he held up a bowl of something foul smelling, "lunch!"

"I'm not hungry," said a disgusted Kairi as she and the others held their noses against the stench coming from Blunk's bowl.

"You not like stinkweed soup?" Blunk asked, "get something else. Rotten-egg salad, rancid steaks, moldy grilled cheese."

"I'll pass," said a very nauseated Sora.

"Well," said Blunk, "there be no pleasing you then." He then walked away with his lunch.

"Remind me, when there's time," said Riku, "to ask why you hang out with that guy."

"It's complicated," said Will, "we sort of adopted him as a sidekick. Anyway, Cornelia, we do know what's going to happen next, or at least I do."

"Enlighten me then," said Cornelia with her hands on her hips, "what next?"

"First, we'll find Taranee and the others," said Will, "then we're going to get back to Meridian, save Elyon and defeat Phobos once and for all. I already have an idea on how to get the rebel army inside the castle."

"The double portals," said Caleb, "you used two of them to evacuate the Infinite City."

"We set up one portal here," said Will, "then open the next one on Earth and have it open up somewhere inside the castle. We get the army inside and win, somehow."

"We'll cross that bridge when we get to it," said Kairi, "first we need to find your friends."

"So who's going to save Taranee?" Roxas asked.

"I'll go," said Aiden as he stood up and stretched, "I want to go."

"So do I," said Ranma eagerly as he also stood up and stretched, "Riku, you coming?"

"I think I'll pass this one," said Riku as he looked at Tess Thatcher, who was sitting under a tree, sharpening her razor.

"I know what you're thinking," said Kairi, "I don't need telepathy to know that you want to save her heart from the darkness."

"I just know that if she would just listen to reason," said Riku, "if she would just open her heart just a bit, I can help her."

"I'm sure you can," said Caleb, "but should you? I've seen the horrors Phobos has inflicted on this world, and I've seen what those horrors have done to people. Tess Thatcher is one of those people who's lives have been ruined by Phobos' evils.

"What I'm saying is that even though you want to, you can't save everyone. In war there's always casualties, always people's who can't be helped no matter how hard you try. Tess Thatcher is the kind of person who doesn't want to be helped."

"Well I'm still going to try," said Riku stubbornly, "I know that not everyone can be saved from the darkness, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't try to save as many as you can."

"Well, that's your prerogative," said Cornelia, "you go ahead and waste your time on someone who's so lost in her own misery, she can't even see the forest for the trees. Me, I'm going to save my friends."

"Okay," said Sora, "it'll be me, Aiden, Roxas, Naminé, and Ranma, along with Will and Matt."

"That'll leave an empty spot," said Roxas, "if you take Matt and Naminé takes Will and I take Ranma, who'll go with Aiden?"

"I'll take care of that," said Aiden. He looked at both Donald and Goofy, "I'm thinking of a number between one and three."

"Uh…between one and three?" Goofy asked as be began counting on his fingers.

"Two!" said Donald triumphantly.

"Thanks for volunteering," said a grinning Aiden.

"What!" exclaimed Donald.

"But I wanted to go," said Goofy.

"You can come next time," said Sora. Caleb had already explained the terrain in which he and the others would jump to. With that Sora grabbed Matt, Naminé took Will's hand, Roxas grabbed Ranma and Aiden grabbed Donald.

Sora and his friends then opened the door to the Möbius Continuum and soon found themselves on the slopes of a large mountain surrounded by other mountains. All around them were abandoned mineshafts and the remains of broken and discarded tools. This area had been a thriving industrial center, but its days of production were long gone.

But this mountain had one critical difference from all the others in the area; it was an active volcano. The heat was not unbearable as our heroes saw that they were about a hundred yards from a lava flow that spilled down from the rim of the volcano, but it was pretty close

"Of all the placed for Taranee to get lost in," said an already heavily sweating Will as she used the Heart of Kandracar to search for her friend, "it had to be on the big brother of Mt. St. Helens."

"You'd think we'd get a break for once," said Roxas as he wiped the sweat from his brow. "that we'd get a mission to someplace that's not full of danger and monsters out to kill us. Just once I'd like to go to someplace that's nice, like a hotel on a tropical island."

"Wishful thinking can only go so far," said Naminé as she looked at the lava flow, "but yes, a tropical island would be a nice place to have a mission."

"Well I'm not afraid of a volcano," said Aiden stubbornly, "and I don't care how hot it gets. I grew up in a desert and spent many days out in the blistering sun. I can take the heat."

"Same with me," said Ranma as he simply ignored the heat. "this one time my dad had us hike across the Sahara desert with only one canteen of water each. And there was the time we were lost in the Australian Outback; that time we had only one canteen between us."

"Well the rest of us aren't as lucky to be able to tolerate the heat as much," said Matt as he pulled his jacket off and tied it around his waist, then wiped the sweat from his brow.

Just then the crystal in Will's hand pointed up the mountain to the volcano rim, away from the lava flow, "she's up there! We've got to hurry!" Will then scrambled up the mountain, following the direction of the crystal, not caring about the intense heat.

"Why rush?" Naminé asked as they all followed Will up the mountain, "other than that we're running out of time in general. If you over exert ourselves, we'll be dehydrated and suffering from heat exhaustion, and then we'll be in no condition to help anyone."

"I'll tell you why we need to hurry," said Will, "back when we all got together at Hay Lin's place and her grandmother told us about our powers, Taranee admitted to being afraid of fire. She quickly got over it, really quickly, but if her memories are as scrambled as mine and Cornelia's were, then…"

"Then she'll be afraid of fire again," said Sora as he and the others realized how serious things were, "you're right, we need to hurry!"

They all got to the rim of the volcano. The heat was almost more than they could take as they gazed down into the churning mass of lava below.

"I really don't want to fall into that," said a nervous Aiden.

"Let's just find Taranee and get out of there," said Roxas, "and let's hope that The Heartless don't show up."

Just then a dozen Heartless, all appearing to be made of black fire, appeared around our heroes and moved in to attack.

"You just had to say that!" said an irate Ranma as the new types of Heartless, Scorchers our heroes would call them later, attacked. The Scorchers threw baseball-sized fireballs and shot streams of flames at our heroes

"Where do they come up with these things?" Aiden asked as he fought off an attacking Scorcher by blocking its black fireballs, then countered by transmuting the ground under one Scorcher into mud, effectively extinguishing it.

"I don't know!" said Sora as he blasted one Scorcher with a Blizzard spell, then sliced another in half. "We just fight then as they come at us!"

"Well somebody out there has a sick imagination," said Ranma as he destroyed one Scorcher after another with his _Kachu Tenshin Amaguriken_, punching the fiery Heartless so fast his hands didn't get burned.

The attacking Heartless were soon all destroyed, and for the moment, things looked calm, despite the active volcano our heroes were on.

"There'll be more Heartless soon," said Sora, "there's always more."

"Where's Taranee?" Will asked as the Heart of Kandracar kept pointing at the volcano rim, but no one was there except our heroes.

Just then came the sound of someone screaming that originated from further along the volcano rim. Sora and the others ran to the rim and looked just in time to see an African American girl in her early teens with glasses and a single dreadlock braid fall over the edge of the volcano.

"No!" shouted Will as she ran over to where the girl, Taranee, fell. Sora ran and caught up with Will and they both saw that Taranee was hanging onto a rock protruding from the volcano wall about fifteen feet down from the edge.

"Help me!" Taranee shouted, "please, help me!"

"Just hang on, Taranee!" shouted Will, "we'll get you out of there!"

"If you transform," said Naminé, "you could fly her out of there without any problems."

"But with Taranee's mind all messed up," said Will, "my having wings could really freak her out. She could panic and fall into the volcano."

"That's a good reason," said Roxas.

"I knew we should have brought a rope," said Ranma as he and the others caught up with Sora and Will and saw Taranee hanging on for her life.

"If you can't bring one," said Aiden, "then make one." He pointed his Keyblade at a nearby pile of lose rocks and transmuted them into a long coil of flame-retardant rope.

"I'll go," said Ranma as he tied one end of the rope around his waist, "lower me down and I'll grab her." He then stood at the edge and prepared to go down

"Just be careful," said Sora as he, Roxas, Aiden and Matt took hold of the other end of the rope. They then began to lower Ranma into the volcano.

They stopped Ranma when he reached Taranee. "Hi," he said to her, "I'm Ranma, my friends and I are here to help. You okay?"

"Other than hanging on for my life over a raging volcano," said Taranee as she carefully cleaned her soot-covered glasses, "and with no idea how I got here in the first place, other than that I'm okay."

"Well as long as you're not hurt," said Ranma. He held out his hand, "grab me and we'll pull you up."

"Umm…I don't think I can move," said Taranee as she looked down, her eyes growing wide with terror as she saw the boiling lake of lava below.

"Just reach for my hand," said Ranma in a reassuring manner, "I won't let you fall, I promise. It's either that or stay here."

"That idea isn't really appealing," said Taranee hesitantly as she reached for Ranma's hand, "I'll try."

"Don't try!" said Ranma in an insisting tone, "either do it or don't do it. In matters of life or death, there's no trying."

"When you put it that way," said Taranee as she grabbed Ranma's hand, "you're right, I'll do it. But if we fall and burn up, I'll never forgive you."

"You wouldn't be the first girl who hates me," said Ranma as Taranee held onto his torso. Ranma then yanked on the rope twice, signaling to Sora and the others to pull them up.

"Here we go!" said Sora as he, Aiden, Roxas ands Matt heaved on the rope.

"Why would girls hate you?" Taranee asked as she and Ranma were pulled up.

"Let's just say that I have the bad luck to attract the wrong women," said Ranma, "it's nothing with me, I just have that kind of luck."

"This is a lot harder than I thought it would be," said Matt as he and the other boys struggled to pull Ranma up.

"That's because we're pulling," said Aiden, "it's a lot harder to lift than to lower."

"And the fact that we're pulling two people," said Roxas.

Just as Ranma and Taranee were a foot from being able to grab the edge of the volcano, the rope began to break.

"Oh man!" shouted Sora as he saw the rope breaking, "pull!"

"I thought I made it fire proof!" said Aiden.

"Guess nobody's perfect!" said Matt.

The four boys pulled, but the rope snapped, just as Ranma was able to grab the ledge with one hand and held onto Taranee with the other.

"I don't mean to sound rude," said Ranma as he struggled to hold onto the ledge and Taranee, "but get us the hell out of here!"

"What he said!" shouted Taranee.

"We're coming already!" said Aiden. He, Sora, Roxas and Matt grabbed Ranma's hand and pulled him and Taranee over the ledge.

"There we go," said Ranma as he set Taranee down, "no harm, no foul."

"Thank you so much," said Taranee as she hugged Ranma out of relief and gratitude. She then looked at Will and the others in a serious manner, "now, could someone please tell me what is going on here? One minute I'm at school at the science fair, then…everything after that is all…."

"Full of holes?" Will asked as she gave Taranee a reassuring smile, "like your brain has been turned to Swiss Cheese?"

"Yeah," said Taranee as she looked at Will, "and, you're…I know you, but I…I'm sorry, I can't remember your name."

"You'll remember soon," said Naminé as she summoned her sketchpad and pen. She drew Taranee's portrait, then placed her hands on Taranee's head, sending a pulse of healing magic into the mind of the Fire Guardian.

"Whoa," said Taranee as she shook her head as if to clear it of water, "that was…" she blinked several times, "wait…I remember now," she looked at the Keeper of the Heart of Kandracar, "you're Will! We met at the science fair, and then at Hay Lin's place, we all learned of our powers."

"Welcome back, Taranee!" said a grinning Will as she hugged her friend.

Just then the ground shook and a huge fountain of lava shot out from the volcano.

"I think we should be leaving now," said Aiden.

"That's probably a good idea," said Roxas.

But before anyone could do anything, something emerged from the lava geyser, something that turned out to be a huge Heartless, about the same size and shape as the Darkside, but made entirely of lava.

"Oh dang flabbit!" exclaimed both Sora and Roxas as the giant fiery Heartless, Dark Blaze as Sora would later call it, reached down to crush them with its burning hands. Sora and Roxas both dodged the giants' hands, only to jump back even further as Scorchers emerged from the hands.

"We're in trouble!" shouted Aiden as he slashed and destroyed a scorcher, "if that thing pushes us one way, we'll fall into the volcano!"

"And if we get pushed the other way," said Ranma as he rapidly punched several Scorchers, "we'll fall down the mountain slope and break our necks!"

"Talk about being stuck between a rock and a hard place!" said Matt as he dodged a fireball that the Dark Blaze threw at him.

"Don't you mean a rock and a hot place?" Roxas asked.

"That's exactly what I meant," said Matt.

"We've got to attack the hands!" shouted Sora, "those are the weak spots!"

"Leave this to us!" said Will as she held up The Heart of Kandracar. She looked at Taranee, "you ready?"

"I was born ready!" said an eager Taranee, "I'm so ready to get my wings back!"

"Then let's do this!" said Will, "Guardians Unite!" With a bright flash she and Taranee transformed.

"That never ceases to amaze me," said Matt as he and the others saw Will and Taranee take flight. The two Guardians circled the Dark Blaze, trying to distract it, for at that time the giant fiery Heartless was throwing fireballs at our heroes.

Taranee dove and threw a fireball of her own at one the giant Heartless was throwing. The smaller fireball's different magical composition deflected the larger, darker fireball away into the air where it dissipated.

Will then blasted the Dark Blaze in its right hand, then circled around to blast the other hand. The double attack significantly damaged the giant Heartless, but it was still in the fight.

Sora and Roxas then shot Blizzard spells at the Dark Blaze, only to have to jump out of the way as the fiery Heartless shot a large flamethrower attack at them, then followed up by a massive fireball that they barely dodged.

"Eat this!" shouted Aiden as he transmuted the air around the Dark Blaze into CO2, effectively choking it. The giant Heartless fell to its knees with its arms outstretched to grab our heroes, but Sora and the others were well outside of its reach.

"Now hit it with everything you got!" shouted Sora. He, Roxas and Aiden threw Strike Raids at the creature, while Will blasted it again and Taranee used her power to draw even more heat from the Dark Blaze. Without heat, the creatures' lava body hardened into stone.

"And here's the kill!" shouted Ranma as he ran towards the immobilized Heartless, jumped up and delivered a devastating cobra punch to its head.

"That was Julia's finishing move," said Sora as Ranma landed, while at the same time the Dark Blaze began crumbling into pieces, then dissolved into black smoke.

"Do you know all of our friends finishing moves?" Roxas asked as a large crystalline heart emerged from the remains of the Dark Blaze, only to vanish in the air.

"Pretty much," said Ranma, "if I see a technique enough times, or had it done to me enough, I can use it. If I wanted to, I can even use Ryoga's Shishi Hokodon."

"Well I'm glad you don't use that move," said Aiden. He looked at Matt, "we know a guy who can use the depression and other heavy emotions as weapons."

"What kind of sick, twisted, demented world do you guys come from?" a slightly annoyed Matt asked.

"Someplace cool, I'll bet," said Will as she and Taranee landed and reverted back to their normal selves.

"And those are some cool swords," said Taranee.

"Keyblades," said Sora as he rested his across his shoulder, while Aiden leaned against his and Roxas twirled his two around for show.

"I'd like to know how they work," said Taranee in an appreciative and admiring tone, "but that can wait. What happened to the others? Cornelia, Hay Lin and Irma."

"Cornelia's fine," said Will, "and we're going to find Hay Lin and Irma soon," said Will.

"Then let's go find them," said Taranee. She then looked around, "um…how are we going to get out of here?"

"That's what we're here to for," said Roxas as he grabbed Ranma, while Sora grabbed Matt, Aiden took Taranee's hand and Naminé grabbed Will's hand, and they all vanished into the Möbius Continuum.

* * *

Back at the rebel camp, Riku had been trying to talk to Tess in order to get her to open up, "look," he said to her as they helped move supplies and equipment in the new rebel camp, "you're just going to end up losing yourself to the darkness if you keep what's bothering you all bottled up inside."

"Why should you care about what happens to me?" Tess asked in an annoyed tone, "why should anyone care about me?"

"Depends," said Riku, "why are you helping out with the rebels so much if you don't care about yourself?"

"Right now, I'm helping because it's something to do," said Tess as she struggled to keep her cool, "and I only got involved with Caleb and the other rebels because The Guardians helped me this one time. I'm only repaying a debt, that's all."

"That's good," said Riku in a positive tone, "you have a sense of honor."

"Honor has nothing to do with it," said Tess as she kept her back to Riku, "I'm just being civil. They helped me, so I help them. After things calm down here a bit, I'll be on my way."

"With your own personal darkness eating you up on the inside," said Riku. "How long will you last with so much darkness weighting on your heart? How long before you lose yourself to the darkness?"

"Will you just back off already?" snapped Tess as she whirled around and glared at Riku, "it's bad enough that I have to spend my time with the rebels, so don't make things worse for me by bugging me so much. I don't even know you, so why are you getting on my case so much?"

"Because I've been in your place," said Riku, "I know what's it like to be immersed in darkness. I know how lonely and hopeless it can be and how easy it is to simply give up. You're on the verge of giving up, I can sense it about you. But there's still a chance you can save yourself from the darkness."

"And what if I don't want to be saved!" Tess asked, "what if I deserve to spend forever in the darkness? I've done terrible things, and have had terrible things done to me. What if the darkness is my fate? That I deserve to be lost."

"Nobody deserves that," said Riku, "if given the chance, I'd try to save as many people as I could."

"Even Phobos?" Tess asked, "would you try to save that murdering maniac?"

"Villains are different," said Riku, "they just are."

"Well I'm different too," said Tess as she glared menacingly at Riku, "you've no idea of what I've been through, so don't even try to understand me. I'm not worth it."

"But you are worth it," said Riku in a reassuring manner, "don't ask me why I want to help you, I'm not even sure of it myself, but I'm still going to try."

"You'll waste your time," said Tess as she turned her back on him.

"No I won't," said Riku. He placed his hand on her shoulder in a reassuring manner. Her face then twisted with rage. Tess then whirled around, grabbed Riku's hand from her shoulder and twisting his arm behind his back. She then pulled out her razor and held it to his throat.

"If you ever touch me again," she said in a low, deadly tone, "I'll cut your damn throat, got it?"

"I got it," said Riku. He was perfectly capable of getting out of her hold on him with his throat intact, but the way she reacted stunned him and allowed her to get the better of him.

"Good," said Tess. She let him go and she pocketed her razor, "now, unless you really do have a death wish, I suggest you leave me alone." With that she walked away to a different part of the camp, leaving Riku alone with his stunned thoughts.

* * *

"So we have an understanding," said Nikolai as he and Phobos stood near a wall that had a large map of the planet, "once you are free of The Veil and are able to traverse to other worlds and drain that world's magic, Maleficent will have full rights to this world and its people."

"I'll have no further use for Metamore once I have Elyon's powers," said Phobos, "this world has nothing for me now. Maleficent can have it and it's worthless people for all I care."

"Don't discount people," said Nikolai as he cleaned his glasses, "they're so easy to turn to the darkness. A single seed of darkness can spread throughout a human heart, either by fear, hate, rage, despair or even doubt. That seed of darkness, once it takes root, the potential for a Heartless is all but certain."

"And there are millions of humans and humanoid life forms on Metamore," said Cedric, "millions of potential Heartless."

"Yes, of course," said Phobos in a contemplative manner, "I've held the men, women and children of this world in a state of terror and hopelessness for nearly 13 years. This world is ripe for the darkness. Yes, you and your mistress can harvest this world for all its worth once I am gone."

"But there is still the matter of the rebels, the Guardians and The Keyblade Wielders," said Nikolai, "those three groups must be dealt with before both our goals can move forward."

"I've already allocated more of my forces to extend the search for the rebels," said Phobos as one of his soldiers handed him a parchment report, "my scouts are combing the countryside for any sign of the vermin. Once they're found, my army, as well as The Heartless that I have on hand, can sweep the rebels aside like yesterdays garbage.

"As for The Guardians and The Keyblade Wielders, there is still that large Heartless you provided for me, the Chimericon. With some improvements, my new pet shall eliminate all our problems in a singe stroke."

"I would not underestimate The Keyblade Wielders," said Nikolai, "several of my comrades underestimated them, and they've suffered for it. I was unable to avenge my comrades once, I was under orders not to act at the time. But now that I have the opportunity, I will not waste it. If all of our enemies are going to be destroyed, then we must be absolutely certain of our actions. One mistake on our part and they will slip away from us."

"Then we had better be certain of our actions," said Phobos, "for time is short. Soon it will all be over," he then handed the report to the soldier with a nod of approval, "I will have everything that I desire, the universe will be my oyster to exploit, and then I can finally complete some overdue business, especially my 'friend' in the dungeon."

"Prince Phobos!" exclaimed the soldier in a horrified tone, "you cannot be serious! You actually plan to free that…that thing in the dungeon?"

"What thing in the dungeon?" Nikolai asked curiously, "do tell."

"It is nothing to worry about," said Phobos. He then glared at the offending soldier, "the creature in the dungeon cannot escape! I've made sure time and time again that there is no possible way for him to leave its cell unless I desire it, and that time may or may not come. If you do not wish to be his next meal, you will never bring up this subject again!"

"But it would reassure those in the know if you examined the bindings once again before the coronation," said Cedric, "If only to be without any doubts. And I'm sure that our guest from another world would be most interested in the creature."

"I admit my curiosity has definately been stirred," said Nikolai. "What is this creature you have locked up that your minions are so frightened of?"

"Well, since you asked," said Phobos, "I'll show you."

Nikolai followed Phobos, Cedric and a squad of soldiers down to the deepest part of the castle dungeons. The only light came from guttering torches as they passed through the musty stone corridors.

"We're passing into the oldest part of the structure," said Phobos, "this particular part of the dungeons was actually build long before the founding of the city and the construction of the castle. As far as anyone can tell, this cell we're approaching has one purpose and one purpose only."

"To contain the creature?" Nikolai asked.

"Precisely," said Phobos. He then took out a set of archaic-looking keys as they reached a large door that had four soldiers guarding it. Phobos bade the guards to stand aside and he unlocked the door.

They then passed through a short hallway to a second door that had three locks on it that required three different keys, which Phobos opened, revealing another short hallway that lead to a third door.

This door had no lock. Instead it was secured by several silver bolts. A large peephole sat at head-height on the door, also secured by silver bolts.

"Judging from the amount of silver used," said Nikolai in a slightly nervous yet still curious tone, "I have a fair idea of what kind of monster you have locked in your basement, Phobos."

"Permit me to confirm your assumptions," said Phobos. He released the bolts on the peephole and opened it, "have a look."

Nikolai steeped up to the oversized peephole and was almost repulsed by the foul odor from within the cell, an old, decaying stench that spoke of something most vile. Disregarding the odor, the Hakonian warlock looked in. At first all he saw was darkness in the cell. A vision enhancing spell allowed Nikolai to pick out what at first appeared to be a tall man chained to the far wall of a large cell. The room looked large enough to easily accommodate dozens of prisoners with plenty of room to spare, but there was only one set of chains and they were being used on the lone prisoner.

Nikolai's enhanced vision then revealed several details that proved that not only were the chains made of pure silver, but that the prisoner was no man, not a human anyway. First, the man's facial features were distorted by animalistic attributes; such as an elongated face that bore a resemblance to a wolf and had large ears like a bat.

The creature's skin was deathly dry, almost desiccated. The creature's height was nearly 8 feet tall and the limbs were far longer than that of a man. The hands and feet were also elongated and ended in claws.

At first the creature seemed to be dead from its lack of movement. But then Nikolai sensed something moving within the cell, something that at first appeared to be a tail of sorts, but seemed to protrude from the creature's chest. The tail, or rather, tentacle, seemed to be made of some sort of pseudo-flesh.

Just then the creature's eyes opened, revealing blood-red orbs that blazed in the darkness and seemed to pierce directly into Nikolai's dark soul and delvier a sense of cold dread.

"I can't believe it!" said a shocked Nikolai as he backed away from the door, "I…I have read all the lore on such creatures and have seen evidence of their presence on other worlds, but to actually see one…if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes I wouldn't have believe it. A Wamphyri! An actual Wamphyri!"

"I thought you'd enjoy seeing one," said Phobos as he smiled with vile humor, "those chains are indeed pure silver, the only substance in existence that can contain such a creature."

"Is it intelligent?" Nikolai asked as he recovered his shock and cleaned his glasses again, "there are several forms of Wamphyri life. Some of them are nothing more than mindless drones obedient to the greater undead that created them."

"This is no mere undead Warrior," said Phobos, "nor is it a creature that was created by a Wamphyric bite. This is an actual Wamphyri Lord, created by the egg of another Wamphyri Lord."

"A Lord," said an astonished Nikolai said. "But how can it still be alive if it has been secured in this cell for an unknown amount of time?"

"That is quite the tale," said Phobos, "I found this cell by accident when I was just a boy. I won't bore you with the full details as to how I came to this place, but when I did find it, I found the creature in a state of semi-fossilized hibernation. But the mind was still active, active just enough so that I could discern what he was, and what he needed.

"I revived him partially in body and fully in mind by delivering to him at first rats, then larger mammals, then, as I grew older and had more authority as a member of the royal family, a condemned criminal awaiting execution. All of these living things, my friend drank their blood and absorbed their life force. He and I then established a more profound level of communication, and I say him, not it. I've grown to respect this creature for his mind, and the secrets that lay in it."

"Truly, you've spoken with it?" Nikolai asked.

"I have held may fruitful conversations with him in my youth," said Phobos as he remembered good times in the past, "the Wamphyri, who's name is Dmitri Frenczy by the way, was the one who instructed me in the arcane arts that have been the keys to my success," he looked at the door and spoke through the peephole, "isn't that right, Dmitri?"

Only silence greeted Phobos' words.

"He can be rather stubborn sometimes," said Phobos to Nikolai, "and a little senile. He is several thousand years old after all."

Just then a whisper could be heard from within the cell, a whisper that seemed to freeze the blood of all those who heard it. "I may be ancient, but my senses are as sharp as ever, Phobos."

"Ah, good, you're awake and coherent, Dmitri," said Phobos, "I'd like to introduce you to someone. Nikolai, Soulreaver, meet Dmitri Frenczy."

"The honor is all mine, great one," said an awed Nikolai.

"Spare me your supplication, mortal," spat Dmitri, "it's clear that all you want from me in information. That's all anyone wants of me now. This one, the insolent pup who dared to disrupt the natural order of his world, he craved the secrets I've gathered from the ages. I gave him those secrets in return for my freedom when he was the ruler of this world.

"It has been years, Phobos, years since I've instructed you in the forbidden art of stealing the magical life force from another. You've used this magic to overthrow the rightful queen of Metamore and set yourself up as overlord. You've used your dark powers to drain the magic from this world, yet I am still bound by these accursed chains of silver. You lied to me, Phobos!"

"I did no such thing," said Phobos, "I have been completely faithful to our bargain. Yet I have not yet been able to _complete _my end of the bargain. I agreed to free you once I have this world completely under my power. That day has not yet come. There still exists a rebel movement bent of destroying me. As long as the rebellion exists, I cannot be the full ruler of this world.

"And that cannot happen unless I have a new source of magic. I've used your teachings all too well, Dmitri. Yes, this world has been all but desiccated of magic. I need to break free of The Veil and draw upon the magic of another world. Yet until I take the life force of my sister, Elyon, I am still bound by The Veil, just as you are bound by those silver chains you hate so much.

"And then of course, there's still the other thorns in my side, five thorns to be exact; The Guardians."

"Ahhhhh," sighed Dmitri, "of course, The Guardians. I know of those five girls you loath so much. I may be detained, but my awareness has been observant. This current generation of The Guardians has the potential to be the most powerful yet, and I have witness the power of earlier generations. I have even had the pleasure to taste the life of one of the Keepers of the Heart of Kandracar, many, many, many years ago.

"The blood and life force of a Guardian, an exquisite dish to sample. True, their powers protects them from becoming wamphyri, as all living things do when contaminated by my kind, but their essence makes all other blood pale in comparison. To have the opportunity to taste that power again...it would be a satisfaction of all satisfactions. True, these Guardians are still inexperienced, but the power is there, especially with their leader, the current Keeper of the Heart of Kandracar."

"Which is why I need to destroy them before I take Elyon's power for my own!" shouted Phobos, "The rebels are an annoyance, a persistent one but an annoyance nonetheless. But the true threats are The Guardians. Only they can shatter the web of lies I've woven around Elyon's mind and heart. They must be destroyed!"

"Then destroy them," said Dmitry, "by all means do so; you know all that you need to know from me, even with a limited source of magic. Why, just now you used a curse that should have destroyed their minds, if it had been used at full power.

"And of course, you've managed to summon and control a large host of Heartless, yes I know of The Heartless as well. Surely, with all that is at your disposal, dear Phobos, you can deal with five silly little girls and their pathetic rebel friends."

"But as we speak an outside force is at work healing the minds of The Guardians," said Phobos, "a force that is highly effective against The Heartless."

"Four Keyblade Wielders and their companions have infiltrated Metamore and have set out to reunite The Guardians," said Nikolai.

"Keyblade Wielders!" exclaimed Dmitri, "are you sure!"

"I'd be a liar if I wasn't sure," said Nikolai.

"Release me!" snapped Dmitri, "release me now, Phobos!"

"Now why should I do that?" Phobos asked.

"Because if you do not release me," said Dmitri, "then your fate will be sealed. My kind have clashed with Keyblade Wielders over the eons, and nearly every encounter resulted in the complete destruction of my fellow Wamphyri."

"And you believe you would fair better than your fallen comrades?" Phobos asked. "Or maybe you wish to save your own pseudo-skin?"

"I merely wish to ensure that my investment doesn't destroy himself through his own self-centered stupidity," said an irate Dmitri, "release me and I will assist you in destroying The Keyblade Wielders, The Guardians and those pesky rebels. Only my intervention can save you and all that you have worked for."

"And if I keep you locked way here," said Phobos, "then what?"

"Then may the darkness preserve your twisted, black soul," said Dmitri in a solemn tone.

At that Phobos laughed cruelly, "you'll have to do better than that, old friend, if you truly want me to uphold my end of the bargain. No, I will destroy all of my enemies myself, then, when my power over this world is finally secure, and I have all of my sisters' magic and able to tear down The Veil, then will I free you from those silver chains."

"You fool!" exclaimed Dmitri, "you arrogant, avaricious, irresponsible fool of a human! After all that I have done to advance your position! You would never have made it this far without my knowledge!"

"That may be," said Phobos in a serious tone, "but there is still the fact that you are of the most dangerous of creatures in all of existence. What's to stop you from turning on me when I release you from your prison, whenever that may be? How can I be sure that you will not infect me with your contagion and become your mindless minion?"

"Ahhhh," sighed Dmitri, "you know Wamphyri enough to know the first rule; never fully place your trust in one."

"Pay this abomination no further heed, Prince Phobos," said an annoyed Cedric, "it has obviously used up it's usefulness. Destroy it now before it is given the chance to turn on us."

"You'll have to be quick to destroy me," said Dmitri, "we Wamphyri aren't so easy to overpower, even in a weakened state. You have been faithful, Phobos, in feeding me. The dredges of Meridian society, the criminals, the refugees, the dispossessed, you've brought to me one by one those humans and non-humans whom you've deemed no longer worthy of living, only worthy of tempering my thrusts and hungers through their blood and flesh. My desires are far from satisfied, but I have strength enough to defend myself."

"I know what is needed to destroy you," said Phobos as he stubbornly crossed his arms, "the stake, the sword and the flame. A single wood bolt through your vile heart will deprive you of your strength. Decapitating you will reveal the true monster within, and fire will completely obliterate you."

"Then do it already!" raged Dmitri, "I grow tired of these pointless talks! I grow tired of this cell and these vile chains of silver! I grow tired of being given just enough blood and flesh to wet my beak, never to be satisfied. I fear to hope for freedom, yet must hope nonetheless. If you are going to end this, then end it, and stop wasting my time!"

"No," said Phobos, "I will not destroy you, not yet. You may yet prove useful at some point."

From within the cell, Dmitri sighed in reluctant acceptance, "then so be it. You will walk freely, while I remained chained. But who is truly free among us, I wonder? Time is running out for you, Phobos, while I have all the time in the world. If you are destroyed, I will simply be forgotten, for none of your minions who survive your downfall will want anything to do with me. I will simply go to sleep, as all of my kind do when we are deprived of blood for too long, and wait until some future young fool finds me; someone always find me eventually, as all humans have an unfortunate knack for finding things unhealthy for them."

"Then you will be in for a long, long wait, my friend," said Phobos, "one way or another you will remain in this cell until you rot, either by my command, or by the ignorance of whoever follows me. But then, my power shall soon become absolute, so the later outcome is moot."

"Then I take it that our friendship is null and void?" Dmitri asked.

"I won't degrade myself by answering that question," said Phobos, "goodbye, Dmitri." With that he slammed the door to the peephole shut and bolted it.

"This may be goodbye, Phobos!" shouted Dmitri from behind the bolted door, "but not forever! You'll regret scorning me! Soon, very soon you shall return and beg me for my help. Then you will be forced to give me my freedom, and then we shall see who is the master! Then we shall see!"

"You will have a long time to wait, old friend," said Phobos. He then lead Nikolai away from the multiple doors securing the creature, "I apologize for this unseemly scene," said Phobos to Nikolai. "Dmitri and I have these little arguments from time to time, but we remain 'friends' nonetheless."

"What's there to apologize for?" Nikolai asked, "Wamphyri can be rather irritating to be around."

"Are you going to keep that thing locked away, Prince Phobos?" Cedric asked as they ascended towards the main levels of the castle.

"I never intended to release Dmitri," said Phobos, "he has provided me with the secrets to my success, but I suspect that there is still so much more to extract from him. Once I have Elyon's powers, then will I be able to learn all that the Wamphyri have to offer."

* * *

…New Hollow Bastion…

"This is quite a place," said Pantyhose Taro as he followed Rakel and Erika through the halls of the castle, "very impressive. And these Heartless, rather interesting creatures."

"They are interesting," said Rakel, "as are Nobodies."

"And you have power over all of these creatures?" Pantyhose Taro asked.

"Only to some extent," said Rakel, "One needs to keep a constant vigilance over ones will over The Heartless, or else they will overwhelm you."

"Then you'll be one of them," said Erika, "as for Nobodies, they're a lot smarter than Heartless. If you don't watch your back, they'll eat you alive."

"Which is why we all now have these," said Reddik as he and Konrad walked up to them, a large silvery item on his right wrist, "The Moogle just finished our control rings. Once we put these on, we'll have the power to control The Nobodies."

"Yes," said Konrad as he admired the ring on his wrist, "the rings, while gaudy, are fully functional."

"And do we get accessories as well?" Rakel asked.

"Depends," said Reddik as he took from his pocket another silver wrist ring and twirled it around his finger, "how much do you want me?"

"More than my own soul," said Rakel, "you know that. Now stop holding out on me."

"Spoil sport," said Reddik as he tossed the ring to Rakel, whom then put it on her right wrist.

"What about me?" Erika asked, "don't I get a piece of the action?"

"Aren't you supposed to be the lone wolf of the group?" Konrad asked as he held up a fourth ring and dangled it in front of Erika, "I thought you liked to work alone."

"Just give me the damned thing," said an annoyed Erika.

"Well you're no fun at all," said Konrad as he tossed the ring to Erika, who then put it on her right wrist.

"So now we can control Nobodies," said Rakel, "what about Nikolai and Katarina, don't they get rings as well?"

"Soon enough," said Reddik, "we have the honor of getting the first batch, aside from the one Maleficent has on her staff."

"So you're the dark martial artist Maleficent is so hung up about," said Konrad to Pantyhose Toro, "the fighter with the humiliating name."

"Don't let this pompous, overdressed son of a bitch get to you," said Rakel to Pantyhose Taro, who was looking ready to start a fight over Konrad's insult, "he's nothing but a fop."

"A fop who remembers his station in life," said Konrad in a contemptuous tone, "and appreciates it, while others around him are only where they are because of overambitious plotting."

"Hey, I got where I was because I worked my ass off," said an irate Erika, "unlike someone who barely did any work in his freaking life."

"Enough!" said Maleficent as she approached the four Hakonians and one dark martial aritst.

"Great one," said Reddik as he, Rakel, Erika and Konrad bowed.

"Maleficent," said Rakel, "we have returned with the martial artist. This is Pantyhose Taro."

"I've heard so much about you, young one," said Maleficent.

"And I've heard great things about you," said Pantyhose Taor as he bowed. "I've also heard that you wish for my services in the subject of Ranma Saotome."

"I want him for my own," said Maleficent, "he is the child of chaos, and I will have his power in my services, or I will have him killed."

"I thought you said your mistress wanted him dead outright," said Pantyhose Taro to Rakel.

"That's what I thought," said Rakel.

"Well, it doesn't matter," said Pantyhose Taro, "you want him, you'll get him," he looked at Maleficent, "you don't mind if he can't walk when I bring him to you, right?"

"Wounds can be healed," said Maleficent, "do whatever you wish to his body, so long as he still lives, and his heart is intact. That is mine to claim."

"But there's still the subject of whether or not I'll actually work for you," said Pantyhose Taro, "your minions said you could convince my godfather to change my name. If you can do that, then I'm yours."

"Then your services are all but guaranteed," said a wickedly smiling Maleficent, "this way." She lead Pantyhose Taro to the dungeon where Happosai was imprisoned in his crystal cage.

"Come to taunt me again, witch!" Happosai shouted, "more threats of perversion deprivation if I don't give myself to you?"

"On the contrary," said Maleficent, "I am here to do you a kindness."

"What are you talking about?" Happosai asked.

"I've come to reunite you with your godson," said Maleficent as she indicated Pantyhose Taro, who was looking shocked to see Happosai locked up.

"Pantyhose Taro!" exclaimed Happosai as he smiled with bright hope, "you've come to rescue your poor, abused godfather from this horrible place and this horrible woman!"

"How is this possible?" an astonished Pantyhose Taro asked, "how did you capture him?"

"It wasn't easy, that's for sure," said Erika.

"And he cannot escape?" Pantyhose Taro asked.

"Our comrade Nikolai made sure of that," said Reddik.

"Don't just stand there, idiot boy!" snapped Happosai, "get me out of here!"

"I'll be a cold day in hell before I ever do anything to help you, old man!" snapped Pantyhose Taro. He then looked at Maleficent intensely, "can you convince this perverted bastard to change my name?"

"He is a stubborn specimen," said Maleficent, "so far he has resisted all my efforts to join us willingly. But with time, his strength of heart will erode, then he will do anything I wish of him."

"Never!" spat Happosai, "I'll never give in to you, Maleficent!" he then glared at Pantyhose Taro, "as for you, boy, don't even think you're getting ahead in this mess! You've got a perfectly good name that I thought long and hard about. You're name is Pantyhose Taro, and it's going to stay that way, forever!"

"You won't be so stubborn when you only get one used dirty magazine and one article of clothing to fondle at a time, old man," said Reddik, "I'm reducing your rations. We'll see how long you'll last."

"I can last a long time," said Happosai in a defiant tone as he stubbornly crossed his arms.

"He'll break," said Erika as the Hakonians, Maleficent and Panthyhose Taro exited the dungeon, "sooner or later, he'll break."

"In the meantime," said Maleficent, "we have business to conduct," she looked at Pantyhose Taro, "will you bring me Ranma Saotome? Despite your godfather's refusal to change your name?"

"He'll break," said Pantyhose Taro, "his very life is sustained by perversions. He won't last much longer. He'll change my name, if only to save his own miserable life. Yes, I'll bring you Ranma. Just tell me where he is, and he will be yours!"

* * *

…Metamore…Meridian…

The Wamphyri Lord Dmitri lay chained to the wall of his hated cell, restrained by the silver chains that kept him imprisoned for so long not even he, an immortal vampire, couldn't even remember. He had been a prisoner for so long he had long ago lost hope of ever regaining his freedom.

That hope dared to rear its head when Phobos began coming to see him and ask questions about the dark arts. Unlike most Wamphyri, whom are highly adapt in psychic abilities, Dmitri was the only one of his kind who could use magic, dark magic to be exact.

Dmitri taught the secrets of the dark arts to the young Phobos in return for his eventual freedom. In truth, Dmitri knew that Phobos would never uphold his end of the bargain. But that was only a minor annoyance, for Dmitri knew that Phobos was surely insane, and an insane man eventually makes mistakes.

All Dmitri needed to do was wait for Phobos to make a mistake that wouls allow the Wamphyri Lord to grasp his chance for freedom, whenever that chance would come. Dmitri could wait, for patience has always been a virtue with the Wamphyri.

But the situation changed when The Guardians first arrived on Metamore, and again when The Keyblade Wielders came. Dmitri knew that events had been set in motion that would bring about one of two destines for this world; a destiny of light and a destiny of darkness.

The Wamphyri Lord knew that one destiny would destroy the other and bring about a new age. Dmitri also knew that if he was ever to take his chance for freedom, it would have to be soon, for if he waited too long, he would risk being imprisoned forever. Forgotten in his cell, Dmitri's body would eventually petrified from lack of blood and he would cease to exist, and he found that unacceptable.

He knew that the time to make his move was close. All he had to do was wait for it to come and then act, and when he did act, when he was free, then Phobos, and the Princess Elyon as well, would taste his wrath, as would any and all who would dare stand in his way.

**The end of chapter 4.**

Next chapter, our heroes rescue the next Guardian, while Katarina reveals to Elyon that she's not exactly what she seems to be. Reviews will be rewarded with cake and pie. See you next time!


	5. Chapter 5: Of Katarina and Tess

Last time found Sora and the gang rescuing Taranee from a volcano and a horde of fire-based Heartless. Back in Meridian, Phobos showed Nikolai the secret to his success; a Wamphyri Lord named Dmitri, from whom Phobos learned the dark arts. At New Hollow Bastion, Maleficent showed the captive Happosai to Pantyhose Taro. The dark martial artist told Maleficent if she could get Happosai to change his name, then he would bring Ranma to her, for that's exactly what Maleficent wants. 'Nuff said, on with the show!

**Chapter 5: Of Katarina and Tess**

"So we lost The Infinite city," said Taranee as she looked at the new rebel camp as it was taking shape. It had been only a few minutes since Sora and the others saved the Fire Guardian from the volcano, and had just gave her a summarized version of all that had happened. "I guess things could be worse."

One thing Sora had noticed since they got back from the volcano. There were at least a hundred more men and women of the various Metamore races at the new camp.

"We managed to evacuate everyone," said Caleb, "and more and more people are joining us. It's like the world knows that the end is coming, and the people want to be a part of it, now more than ever."

"But what kind of end?" Cornelia asked, "a good end where we save Elyon, bring down Phobos and drive The Heartless away forever? Or one where we all die and Phobos rules the universe."

"That's one end that I won't let happen," said Riku defiantly as he walked up to Sora and the others, "I've talked to some of the rebels. Each man and women here has suffered terribly by the evil of Phobos, some more than others," he looked at Tess who, having just finished sharpening her razor, was helping set up shelters for the new rebels and organizing supplies. Though she worked hard, her expression remained neutral.

"Have you figured her out yet?" Sora asked.

"She won't open up to me," said Riku in a slightly depressed tone, "I tried to talk to her, to tell her that if she keeps going on this path, she'll lose herself to the darkness. But she just ignored me. Her heart is closed, and I don't know if I can open it again."

"Are you sure that's all that happened?" Namine asked, "you're hiding something, I know it."

"You're right," said Riku, "something else did happen. In my trying to help Tess, she nearly cut my throat."

"You're kidding," said a stunned Will.

"He's not," said Caleb, "this is The Razor we're talking about. She's killed hundreds of Phobos' minions over the years and she killed them mercilessly. If she wanted to kill Riku, he'd be dead by now."

"I'm glad she didn't," said Riku as he felt his neck where Tess held her razor to it, "I still feel I can help her."

"Why are you so hung up about this one girl?" Aiden asked, "sure, she's a human being, and we all should try to save as many as we can from the darkness, and she is cute, really cute, but she's a killer who's hell-bent on losing herself to the darkness, so why are you trying so hard if she doesn't want your help?"

"I'd like to know that myself," said Roxas.

At that Riku sighed and sat down, "I honestly don't know. I know that trying too hard will only push her away and not trying will lose her just the same. I want to help Tess, but…I don't know why I care so much."

"I think I may know," said Naminé, "but that can wait. I want to try something, something I should have tried weeks ago."

"What do you mean?" Kairi asked.

"Well," said Naminé, "you and Sora have telepathy, as do I and Roxas, and we can all talk to each other with our minds."

"Oh, mindspeech," said Will as she sat with a map of the world in her lap, The Heart of Kandracar dangling over the map, "I think Hay Lin's grandmother said that we would have that kind of power someday."

"King Mickey said we'd all be able to talk to each other with our minds as well," said Sora, "but so far only Kairi and I can do it."

"Which brings me to what I want to try," said Naminé. "Sora, Kairi, I want to copy some of your memories and put them into Aiden and Riku."

"You want to what?" Aiden asked.

"Of course!" said an excited Kairi, "memory transferring! I should have thought of that!"

"Copy the memories of when you first learned telepathy," said Riku, "and put them into me and Aiden. Then we can all talk with our minds!"

"That'd be awesome!" said Aiden, "but will it work?" he looked at Naminé, "can you copy memories? I know you can change and erase memories, and I saw you recover memories, but copy? Can you do that?"

"I won't know if I don't try," said Naminé as she summoned her sketchbook and pens, "I'll need fresh portraits of all of you, so hold still for a bit." She quickly drew the faces of Sora, Riku, Kairi and Aiden.

"What's going on?" Ranma asked as he walked back from the makeshift kitchens with a huge plateful of food.

"Naminé's copying Sora and Kairi's telepathy powers into Riku and Aiden," said Roxas.

"Cool," said Ranma as he munched on a mutton leg.

"How can you eat so much?" Riku asked.

"It's just my thing," said Ranma.

"Okay," said Naminé as she finished drawing, "here it goes." She touched Sora and Kairi's head, then touched Riku and Aiden's head. Everyone who could sense magic felt the pulse as the memories flowed from Sora and Kairi to Riku and Aiden.

"There," said Naminé, "that should do it. Try talking to each other without opening your mouths."

"Okay," said Sora. He then concentrated, _:Riku, Aiden can you here me?:_

Only silence greeted him.

_:Maybe you're not talking loud enough,:_ said Kairi, _:let me try. Hey! Riku! Aiden!:_

Both of them were bowled over at the sudden influx of telepathic sound.

"Not so loud!" said an irate Aiden, "are you trying to blow out my eardrums!"

"But I heard you," said an excited Riku, "we both heard you, Kairi!"

"Try talking to us now," said Sora, "if you can hear us, then we should be able to hear you."

"Okay," said Riku. He closed his eyes and his face twisted in intense concentration.

Sora and Kairi then faintly heard Riku's voice in their minds, _:Can you guys here me? Sora? Kairi?:_

_:We here you,:_ said a widely grinning Sora.

_:What about me?:_ Aiden asked.

_:Loud and clear,:_ said Kairi.

_:It worked!: _said a practically jumping for joy Naminé.

"So, did it work?" Ranma asked.

"You better believe it worked!" said Roxas, "when Naminé says she can do something with people's memories, she can do it."

"I can copy that power into your mind as well, Ranma," said Naminé, "if you want it."

"No thanks," said Ranma, "I like my thoughts private."

"Suit yourself," said Aiden, "it's your loss."

"I'll probably figure it out on my own," said Ranma, "I usually do that with fighting moves, so telepathy shouldn't be much different. Kinda like this." He suddenly vanished, only to reappear behind Sora and the others.

"What did you do?" a shocked Kairi asked.

"He couldn't have moved that fast," said Riku, "I know Ranma is fast, but not that fast. Unless…"

"Unless Ranma can now use the Möbius Continuum," said Sora.

"But how?" Aiden, "Only Sora, Riku, Kairi and I got hit by that Keogh stuff, and Roxas and Naminé learned how to do it because they're linked with Sora and Kairi."

"I've been jumping with you through the doors a few times," said Ranma, "I just figured it out, that's all."

"Which is just as awesome!" said Will as the Heart of Kandracar pointed to a sky-blue dot on the map of the world, "I think I've found Hay Lin!"

Everyone crowded around the map to see where the fourth Guardian was; one of the other two continents of Metamore.

"That's on the other side of the world," said Caleb as he retrieved a more detailed part of the world and gave it to Will, "near a desert."

"A very big desert," said Kairi as she read the book The King gave our heroes, "full of all sorts of nasty creatures," she turned a page and gulped nervously, "including giant sand worms."

"I really don't want to fight giant sand worms," said Cornelia nervously.

"We may not have to," said Caleb, "if I'm right, then that part of the desert that Hay Lin is in is free of sand worms, for they only come out at night, at least I think so."

"We'll find out soon enough," said Sora.

"Why would Hay Lin be in the middle of a desert?" Taranee asked, "I mean, you guys found me on a volcano and Cornelia was in a forest."

"And I was back in the city," said Will, "I'm not even going to try and figure out how that happened. But Taranee's right, she and Cornelia were sent someplace that corresponded to their elements; Fire and Earth. It make sense that Hay Lin would be someplace that is liked to Air."

"And Irma would be someplace near Water," said Cornelia, "like a lake or the ocean. Maybe Hay Lin's in a really windy desert."

"We won't know unless we get there and look," said Naminé, "so, who's going this time? Roxas and I'll take Will and Matt."

"I'd like to sit this one out, if that's okay," said Matt. "I need a break."

"You're entitled to one," said Will.

"I'll go," said Caleb, "I've been to that part of the world before."

"And I can take one person with me," said Ranma.

"You're our guy to help get Hay Lin home," said Will.

"No problem," said Ranma.

"I'll go," said Riku in a reluctant tone, "I'd rather not," he looked at Tess again, "but it's my turn anyway."

"Let me try talking to her," said Kairi, "maybe she just needs to talk to another girl."

"Good luck with that," said Cornelia.

"I don't think anyone can break Tess Thatcher out of her shell," said Taranee.

"We tried talking to her when we helped her last week," said Will, "all she did was thank us for saving her life and offered to repay the debt by finding a secret way inside Phobos' castle."

"She found it alright," said Caleb, "but it'll be a little hard. There is a tunnel, but it'll be a bit of a tight squeeze."

"We may not need a secret way in anymore," said Will, "remember, I can open two portals at a time. One to Earth, the other into the castle. We can just have everyone sneak inside the castle basement, or someplace."

"So," said Tess as she walked over, "all that hard work I did was for nothing." She then took out her razor and idly polished the blade.

"Uh…I…" said a nervous Will.

"It doesn't matter," said Tess as she finished cleaning her razor, "nothing will matter for me much longer," she looked at Will, "you can make up for this little mishap by promising me one thing. When the time comes, Phobos is mine."

Tess then looked at Caleb, "you can pass that on to the rest of the rebels. Do whatever the hell you want to Cedric and the other minions, but I will kill Phobos, and if anyone wishes to get in my way, if anyone else decides to destroy Phobos," she pulled out one of her hairs and split it on the edge of her razor, "then that person will have to deal with me."

"Well aren't you a little ray of sunshine," said Kairi.

At that Tess laughed. Will, Taranee, Cornelia, Caleb and all the nearby rebels were shocked at the sight of it. Sora and the others guessed that the rebels and Guardians had never seen or heard Tess laugh or smile.

When she realized that everyone was looking at her, Tess' smile faltered, "What? Why are you looking at me like that? I can laugh if I want to!" With that the ran over and sat under a nearby tree.

"She sure is complicated," said Aiden.

"I'll do what I can to get her to open up," said Kairi to Riku, "you just focus on finding Hay Lin."

"That may be harder than we thought," said Will as she examined the map more closely. Sora and the others looked at the map, and before their eyes, the sky blue dot that represented Hay Lin was moving.

"Is she running away from something?" Cornelia asked.

"I don't think it's Hay Lin that's running," said Taranee, "nobody can move that fast on their own. If the scale of that map is accurate, then something is moving Hay Lin."

"I think I know what's going on," said Caleb, "but I can't be sure until we get there."

"I'm coming with you," said Cornelia, "you may need me."

"Okay," said Riku as he held out his hand, "you can jump with me."

"We'll stay and help things get more organized with the rebels," said Sora, while Donald, Goofy and Aiden nodded in agreement.

"And I'll see what I can do to help Tess," said Kairi.

"Then let's get this show on the road!" said Roxas as he grabbed Matt, while Naminé held Will's hand. With that they, Riku, Cornelia and Ranma vanished into the Möbius Continuum.

They appeared on the edge of the desert described by Caleb. It was well after dusk on that part of the world and the temperature had definitely cooled after the days' blistering heat. It wasn't uncomfortably cold, as it does get at night in the desert, but it was well on its way to getting cold.

"Oh, yeah," said a nervous Caleb, "I forgot about time zones."

"Just great," said Cornelia, "now we'll have to fight giant sand worms."

"Wait," said Caleb, "I remember, sand worms are attracted by rhythmic vibrations in the ground, so if we walk without rhythm, we'll avoid the worms."

"Okay," said Riku, "we're here and we'll be careful not to attract sand worms, so where's Hay Lin?"

"That's what I'd like to know," said a perplexed Will as she saw that The Heart of Kandracar was pointing almost straight up.

"Are you sure that thing's working?" Cornelia asked.

"I should have realized it!" said Caleb as he pointed up, "look!"

The moon was up, and by the bright light our heroes could see something impossible, yet what they saw was no illusion, no trick of the moonlight.

"One of the flying islands," said Caleb, "they move on the winds and travel across the world. Each island is like an island on the ocean, filled with topical plants and animals, while some have different enviroments."

"A floating island," said an amazed Ranma, "I've seen some strange things, but this takes the cake."

"Can we get up there?" Roxas asked, "I don't know if we can open a Möbius door onto something that's moving."

"We'll have to try," said Will as the crystal pointed up at the flying island, "Hay Lin is up there, I'm sure of it!"

"Looks like we're going to avoid the sand worms after all," said Roxas.

"Then let's go!" said Naminé as everyone clasped hands and they jumped onto the floating island.

The landscape was one of a temperate forest. Nearly all of the island, with one tall mountain at the far end, was covered in conifer trees.

"Which way?" Caleb asked as he drew his sword, while Riku and Roxas summoned their Keyblades.

"Straight ahead," said Will as the crystal pointed forward.

"Let's hope we find Hay Lin soon," said Naminé as they moved forward, "we could be looking for her all night."

Just then they all heard a rustling in the bush ahead. Everyone tensed for trouble, but instead an Asian girl with long black pigtails emerged from the undergrowth. She looked to have been running for some time now and had a terrified expression on her face.

"You guys gotta help me!" exclaimed the girl, "these things! These flying monkeys! They won't leave me alone!"

"Just calm down, Hay Lin," said Will as she grabbed her friend by the shoulders, "everything's going to be alright."

"How'd you know my name?" Hay Lin asked, "Who are you? Wait…I…I think I remember…I saw you that day at the science fair." She looked at Cornelia, "and I definitely know you, but…I can't remember your name."

"And here I thought I was the most popular girl at school," said Cornelia.

"We're all friends, Hay Lin," said Naminé as she summoned her sketchbook and pens and opened the sketchbook to a fresh page, "just relax and you'll be back to normal in no time." she then drew Hay Lin's portrait.

"Wow," said an impressed Hay Lin as she saw her sketch, "you're good. I'm an artist to, at least I think I am."

"You'll know for sure soon enough," said Naminé as she placed her hands on Hay Lin's head and sent a pulse of healing magic into the mind of the Air Guardian.

"Trippy," said a slightly disoriented Hay Lin. Just then she blinked in surprise, "I remember now! I remember everything!" she looked at her fellow Guardians, "Will! Cornelia! I remember!"

"Welcome back," said Will joyfully as she and Cornelia hugged Hay Lin.

"I really missed your hyperactive personality," said Cornelia.

"And I missed your seriousness, Corny," said Hay Lin, "But what about Taranee and Irma?"

"Taranee's back at the new rebel base," said Will, "and we haven't found Irma yet. Oh, these are our friends, Riku, Roxas, Ranma and Naminé. They and some others are helping us bring down Phobos."

"Before we go any further," said Ranma, "what's this about flying monkeys?"

Just then several Air Battlers, Artful Flyers and Aerial Masters appeared around our heroes.

"Oh crap!" exclaimed Roxas as he and Riku summoned their Keyblades, "not these guys again!"

The flying Heartless then began to swoop down at our heroes, trying to strike at Will, Cornelia and especially Hay Lin.

"You've seen these things before?" Caleb asked as he swung his sword at one of the Artful Flyers and missed.

"In Neverland," said Roxas as he Hi Jumped and destroyed one Air Battler, but missed at an Aerial Master, "But I had help reaching them." Roxas remembered all the times Tinker Bell helped him fly, as well as all the times Sora flew. What he wouldn't give to be able to fly again.

But others in the group could fly. "You ready, Hay Lin?" Will asked as she held up The Heart of Kandracar.

"Always!" said an eager Hay Lin.

"Might as well," said Cornelia as she ducked an Artful Flyer, "these thing are seriously endangering my hair!"

"Then let's do it!" said Will, "Guardians Unite!" With a flash, she, Cornelia and Hay Lin had transformed and they took flight.

Will blasted two Air Battlers out of the sky, while Cornelia punched one in the face, destroying it. But the real star of the battle was Hay Lin. She flew rings around the offending flying Heartless, all the while ripping them apart in concentrated tornadoes and bashing them into each other with powerful wind gusts.

"Awesome!" said Ranma as he jumped up and kicked one Artful Flyer into oblivion, while Roxas and Riku managed to jump and destroy an Air Battler each.

It wasn't long before the sky was clear of Heartless, and the three Guardians landed.

"I can't believe I forgot how awesome this is!" said a joyfully smiling Hay Lin as she did a midair spin, "I just love having wings!"

"Remind me to introduce you to some other girls I know who can fly," said Naminé, "or, at least Kairi knows them, I haven't had the pleasure of being introduced."

"What kind of girls?" Cornelia asked, "and are they Infielders?"

"'Infielders?'" Roxas asked.

"It's something from school," said Will, "Infielders are the popular kids, while Outfielders are bullies and other social outcasts."

"Infielders, Outfielders," said Cornelia, "our school is the Shieffield Institute, emphasizing on the Field part of the name."

"I get it," said Roxas.

Just then Hay Lin tensed up and turned her head towards the distant mountain, as if listening for something.

"Part of Hay Lin's power allows her to hear things from far away," said Will to Riku, Roxas and the others.

"What do you hear?" Cornelia asked intensely.

"Something big is moving," said Hay Lin, "something very big, and angry."

Just then something large took flight from the mountain and flew towards our heroes. As it got closer, Roxas recognized it as a Ruler of the Sky Heartless, but this one was a bit bigger and was mostly red, blue and yellow. The giant flying Heartless carried no treasure chest underneath it, but had four razor sharp talons instead.

"Now I really miss Tinker Bell!" said Roxas the revamped Ruler of the Sky flew over them, leaving behind a wake of gusting air that nearly bowled everyone over.

"We just can't get a break, can we," said an exasperated Will as she, Cornelia and Hay Lin took flight again and went after the giant flying Heartless.

"Go for the tail first!" shouted Roxas, "that's the weak spot, then attack the head!"

Will nodded in acknowledgement and passed on the advice to Cornelia and Hay Lin. They then flew at the revamped Ruler of the Sky and tried to attack the tail. Yet the giant flying Heartless was too fast for them. Will and her friend kept trying to get behind the giant flying Heartless, but it always turned at the last second.

"I hate being stuck on the ground like this!" said an outraged Roxas, "I've already destroyed one of those things! I know I can do it again if I could just get up there!"

Just then Roxas felt something very small tap his shoulder. He turned around and to his surprise, there was Tinker Bell in all her tiny glory.

"What…Tink!" exclaimed Roxas, "how did you…! What are you doing here?"

"Is that who I think it is?" Riku asked.

"It is," said Naminé.

"What's with the little fairy?" Ranma asked.

"Quiet!" said Roxas, "she's trying to tell me something." he watched at Tink mimed the fact that she had been looking for him, or rather…

"You've been jumping around the universe to find Sora?" Roxas asked.

At that Tinker Bell nodded. She then used her magic to summon two items. One was a small scroll, the other was a large bag of what was clearly Pixy Dust.

"This is for us?" Roxas asked as he took the bag. At that Tink nodded and vanished.

"What was that all about?" Ranma asked.

"I think a certain little pixy was upset that someone," said Naminé, "or a group of someones' have been ignoring her."

"I'll pass that along to Sora when we get back," said Roxas as he opened the bag and sprinkled some of the dust onto his head. He then passed the bag to Riku, who sprinkled some dust on his head, then did the same for Ranma.

"What now?" a confused Ranma asked.

"Just think happy thoughts!" said Roxas as he focused on the time he first met Naminé in the other Twilight Town. He then rose into the air and flew headlong at the revamped Ruler of the Sky with both Keyblade out.

He ducked under the flight path of the giant flying Heartless, flew under it and sliced off the last segment of the tail. The revamped Ruler of the Sky screeched in rage and flew higher.

"How'd you get up here?" a confused Will asked as she, Cornelia and Hay Lin flew over.

"I'll explain later," said Roxas as he saw the giant flying Heartless dive towards them.

Riku then rose into the air, thanks to his concentrating on the memory of when he and Sora first returned home from defeating Xemnas, focusing specifically on the moment when he and Sora splashed down offshore of Destiny Island and seeing Kairi, The King, Donald and Goofy waiting for them on the shore.

Riku quickly flew next to Roxas and threw a Strike Raid at the head of the giant flying Heartless, causing it to flinch and change course, exposing its tail long enough for Will to blast another segment off.

Back on the ground, Ranma tried to think of something happy, but for him it wasn't easy. Having suffered through a worldwide training trip with only his unscrupulous father for company, being forced into a loveless engagement with a man-hating tomboy who regularly abused him, as well as putting up with the more often than not insane antics of his other fiancées, the multiple attempts on his life from his rivals, and the nearly unbearable escapades of Happosai, plus all the other insanity he lived through during his time in the Tendo household, all the wile bearing a curse that turns him into a girl at the slightest contact with cold water, to say that Ranma didn't have many happy thoughts would be an understatement.

But then Ranma remembered that things had changed in his life, changed for the better. For one thing his rivals and other fiancées weren't out to get him anymore. They had all found good people whom they were deeply in love with. Ryoga had Jean-Louise, Ukyo had Ian, Shampoo had Andrew, Mousse had Felicia, Kodatchi had Kyle and Tatewaki had Julia.

Another happy fact was that Happosai was gone, taken away by the Hakonians to, Ranma hoped, someplace where the old pervert was getting what he deserved. Another fact was that his irresponsible father was out of his hair, all thanks to his mother, while Akane's father was put in his place as well.

As for Akane, last Ranma heard, she had taken over management of the Tendo dojo and was having the time of her life teaching martial arts.

All of this brought a smile to Ranma's face, but what truly made him happy was the thought that for the first time in his life, he was in control of his destiny. With that he rose into the air and grabbed the Ruler of the Sky by the tail and swung it towards the ground.

He followed the screeching Heartless and delivered a devastating kick to the head just before it impacted the ground, delivering twice as much damage.

Still in the air, Ranma focused his confidence into a ball of bright Ki energy. "Moko Takabisha!" and shot the Ki blast at the giant flying Heartless. The Ki blast hit the creature and finished it off. It dissolved into black smoke, and from that black smoke rose a giant crystal heart that vanished into the sky.

"And that's the end of that chapter," said Ranma as he, Riku, Roxas, Will, Cornelia and Hay Lin landed.

"That was awesome!" said a very eager Hay Lin, "that thing was like all over the place and we couldn't get it. But then the other two guys showed up and they hurt it, but it was still able to fight. Then you showed up and totally owned it!"

"Looks like someone has a fan now," said Naminé. She then looked at Roxas and the pouch of Pixy Dust, "Make sure you save some of that for me. I want to try my hand at flying."

"You'll have plenty of chances to practice," said Roxas as he read the scroll Tinker Bell gave him, "aside from being upset with Sora, Tink says that this Pixy Dust is a gift from all the Pixies of Neverland. The bag is enchanted to hold a lot of the dust, so we won't have to worry about running out for a while."

"Then you can spare some for my men," said Caleb, "we'd have a real edge over Phobos if we can fly."

"We'll worry about that later," said Riku, "let's get back to camp." Roxas, Namine and Ranma could tell that Riku was thinking about Tess and if Kairi had made any progress breaking through to her heart.

"Then let's go already," said Will.

"Wait a second," said Hay Lin, "I hear something else."

"Another monster?" Cornelia whined.

"It's a monster alright," said Hay Lin, "but it's not going to attack us, not up here. It's coming from the ground below."

She took flight again and flew over to the edge of the flying island. Will and Cornelia followed her.

"Can I get some of that?" Caleb asked he pointed at the Pixy Dust.

"Just think happy thoughts," said Roxas as he sprinkled some Pixy Dust onto Caleb, "you'll be in the air before you know it."

Caleb closed his eyes in concentration and within seconds he was hovering, then flying towards Will, Cornelia and Hay Lin. Roxas, Riku, Namine and Ranma also flew over to the edge of the flying island.

"What's your happy thought?" Cornelia asked Caleb.

"Meeting you for the first time," said Caleb, "that was when Cedric grabbed me through that first portal, but seeing you in your Guardian form for the first time, I'll never forget it."

At that Cornelia blushed heavily.

"What are we looking for, Hay Lin?" Will asked.

"Down there," said Hay Lin as she pointed at the desert below. Everyone looked down and saw a long…something…crawling on the sand.

"Goodness!" said Will, "is that…a sand worm?"

"It is," said an astonished Caleb, "and it's a big one, over 400 meters, 450 at least."

"You mean there's giant worms on this world that can get to be almost half a kilometer long!" an exasperated Ranma asked.

"There's been rumors of worms over 600 meters long, in the deep desert," said Caleb.

Just then the giant worm dove into the sands. It moved really fast for something so big, for within a minute it was completely submerged in the desert sands.

"Where did it go?" Roxas asked.

A few seconds later the worm burst from the sands, leaping almost its full length up into the air before crashing down into the ground with a loud thud.

"Are we high enough?" a nervous Cornelia asked.

"We're a kilometer up," said Roxas, "we're safe, I think."

"Look!" shouted Riku as he pointed at the ground below. More and more giant sand worms were approaching the area. They all dove beneath the sands and leapt up at the sky. They all repeated this strange performance for several minutes.

"The moon," said Will as she pointed at the sky. Up above there was a full moon, "they're leaping for the moon."

"Why?" Ranma asked.

"No one knows," said Caleb, "I remember hearing tales from travelers who witness the worms dancing in the moonlight. There have been tales of this dance that go back hundreds of years, but nobody as ever been able to explain why the worms do as they do, and I guess no one will never know."

After another minute the giant worms stopped leaping for the moon and settled into the sands. Some of them burrowing down, others crawling away.

"That was weird," said Cornelia, "but also strangely beautiful."

"I guess Metamore has its wonders as well as horrors," said Will, "anyway, we should go back before the others get worried." With that she and Naminé held hands, while Roxas grabbed Caleb, Riku took Cornelia's hand and Ranma held Hay Lin's hand. With that they all vanished into the Möbius Continuum.

* * *

…Meridian…

"What do you think of this?" Elyon asked as she and Katarina stood in Elyon's extravagantly oversized walk-in wardrobe. The young princess was displaying a full-length silk indigo ball gown with puffed sleeves.

"I like the color," said Katarina as she felt the examined the dress, "pink goes well with your eyes. But it's way too long. I'd take in a few inches, and I'd totally get rid of those sleeves. Puffed sleeves are so last decade."

"I fully agree," said Elyon as she hung the dress on a rack that was marked 'change.' She then looked at a girl who was sitting nearby with a roll of parchment and an quill, "make it official, Miranda; Puffed sleeves are 'out.'"

The girl, Miranda, who looked to be a bit older than Elyon, had short black hair, pale skin, slight freckles and even paler eyes. She wore a simple green and white dress. Miranda smiled at Elyon and wrote down the note, "I really think you're making progress, Princess Elyon, bringing the fashion of our world up to date. We've really been behind the times."

"No doubt thanks to those horrible rebels," said an irate Elyon, "and let's not forget that Prima Donna, Cornelia. She always had to be the center of attention, so she probably had a hand in this world's lack of fashion as well."

"Don't think about those idiots who masqueraded as your friends," said Miranda, "you'll be the queen soon. Getting stressed before your coronation will only spoil everything your brother, Prince Phobos, has planned. I'm sure that your brother has things under control concerning the Rebels and the Guardians."

"And my friend Nikolai can help as well," said Katarina, "he's a highly accomplished magic user, maybe the best of our people, and that's saying something since every Hakonian is talented."

"What's your talent?" Elyon asked, "besides being a fashion guru."

"Well," said Katarina in a matter of fact tone, "I'm not smart like Nikolai. I admit that I can be a bit of an airhead sometimes, but I'm not as dumb as my other friends say about me when they think I can't hear them," she smiled mischievously, "I only pretend to be a total dingbat around them so they won't try to hurt me."

"Why would they do that?" a shocked and confused Elyon asked.

"My family has a lot of connections among our people," said Katarina, "you could say that I could be the leader of the Hakonians, if there wasn't so many other Hakonians who want that power. Power means a lot to us Hakonians. A long time ago we ruled a vast empire across the stars, but now we're a bunch of talented nomads eager to get a taste of the power we once had. That means that among my people, there are some who would gladly stab a friend in the back if they get the chance."

"That's terrible!" said a morally disgusted Elyon, "I thought you were merchants and traders."

"Uh…yeah," said Kataraina, knowing that she nearly blew her cover, "but that's Nikolai's business. Me, I'm just a pretty face with political connections," she then picked up a heavy travel chest with one hand as if it was just a book, "who also works out with weights."

"That chest weighs a tone!" said an astonished Miranda.

"That's one of my talents," said Katarina as she set the chest down, "most Hakonians are either magically strong in mind or strong in body. We used our powers to…" she hesitated, trying to think of how to keep the lie going, "what's the word for doing things kindly?"

"Benevolently?" Elyon asked.

"That's it!" said Katarina, "we ruled the stars benevolently for a long, long time. But then things began to go bad for us."

"What happened?" Elyon asked.

"We got involved in a bunch of nasty wars," said Katarina, "none of them were our fault of course, but we got caught in them anyway. We fought all these really ugly and mean aliens out to destroy us, but we beat them all. But the wars really messed up the empire, so when this meddling time traveler came along and poked his nose where had no right to, things fell apart, and we've been nomads ever since."

"Oh I know all about meddling people," said Elyon, "but what about you? Why pretend to be an idiot when you can be your people's leader?"

"I don't want to be the leader," sighed Katarina, "there's so much that needs to be done, so many decisions to make. I don't like telling others what to do all that much, unlike some Hakonians I know. No, I'm happy running missions and having fun."

"Well I hope that when I'm queen," said Elyon, "I'll still have time to have fun."

At that Miranda looked liked she wanted to say, 'assuming you live that long,' but she kept her mouth shut.

Just then something happened that nearly gave the whole game away. A lone Shadow scurried across the ceiling in its 2D form, then regained its 3D form and jumped down in front of Elyon.

The deceived princess screamed in terror at the sudden appearance of the lone Shadow, "What the…! What is this thing?" The Shadow just stood there, looking up at the frightened Elyon.

Miranda just stood there, as if trying to think of a way to pass this off as normal and not betray the lie, but she couldn't come up with anything.

But Katarina did. She pointed at the Shadow and shouted, "Sit!"

The lone Shadow did what it was told and sat down.

"Stay!" Katarina commanded, and the Shadow remained still.

"It's alright, Elyon," said Katarina to the terrified princess, "it can't hurt you."

"What is that…that horrible thing?" Elyon asked as she tried to calm her rapid pulse and breathing.

"It's…a creature of the cosmos," said Katarina as she tried to keep the lie going, "my people run into them from now and then. This one must have…followed Nikolai and I from the last place we visited. This creature is called a Shadow."

"Well obviously," said a sarcastic Miranda, getting into the lie, "it's all black with yellow eyes."

"You've seen these horrible things before?" a shocked Elyon asked.

"They're…kinda like rats," said Katarina, "only no fur and diseases. They're space pests that appear in all shapes and sizes. They're annoying, but once you show them who's boss, they'll do whatever you say, somewhat. You can't train them to be butlers and maids, but they make okay pets."

"You make pets out of things like this?" Elyon asked in a disturbed tone.

"Oh sure," said Katarina, "you got to be careful, or the hand that feeds them will get bitten, but they can be made into pets. Watch," she then stood over the still sitting Shadow and commanded it to stand up. It did so.

"Come here," said Katarina and the Shadow walked towards her. Katarina then began stroking the Shadow on the head, and it began purring.

"See?" Katarina asked Elyon, "they like me, and I'm sure they'll like you."

"Uh…" said a still disturbed Elyon.

"It looks harmless to me," said Miranda as she walked over to the Shadow and scratched it behind its antenna. The creature purred again.

"They're kinda nice," said Miranda. "come and try, Princess Elyon."

"If it's alright with you, Miranda," said Elyon, "I'll pass."

"That's okay," said Katarina, "they are kinda creepy." she then ordered the Shadow to leave, and it did. "They're not for everyone. Hopefully you won't have to see them again."

"I hope so," said Elyon as she began to calm down, "make a note, Miranda, one of my first edicts as queen will be to make sure that those horrible creatures never set foot on this world again."

"It'll be in your 'do to' box," said Miranda in a reassuring tone as she wrote down Elyon's note. One could tell that Miranda had every intention of throwing out the parchment as soon as Elyon turned her back, but what Elyon didn't know didn't hurt her, yet."

"Alright, now that that little nasty bit is done," said Katarina as she pulled out an orange and blue dress, "I think this needs just a few alterations around the neck and waist. It's a little big for you, Elyon, but you'll grow into it soon."

"Uh yeah, sure," said Elyon in an unfocused tone.

"Oh, before I forget," said Katarina, "like I do sometimes, you won't tell anyone about my secret, Elyon? I'd be really appreciative if the truth about me didn't get out."

"Yeah, sure," said Elyon in a distant tone. The experience of seeing a Heartless for the first time had really unsettled the deceived princess, causing her to ask questions in her mind; questions like why would her loving brother associate with people who had hidden vicious streaks? Who also, apparently, kept such horrible creatures as pets?

These doubts would later affect Elyon in ways she couldn't imagine right now, but that was definitely for later.

* * *

…The Rebel Camp…

While Riku, Roxas, Ranma, Caleb, Namine, Cornelia and Will were saving Hay Lin, Kairi was having her hands full trying to solve the puzzle that was Tess Thatcher. Kairi knew that Sora, Donald, Goofy, Aiden, Matt and Taranee were busy helping the other rebels, so she tried alone to crack open Tess's shell, and so far wasn't successful. But soon her efforts would pay off, and Kairi would get far more than she asked for.

"I've asked you to leave me alone, Kairi of the Keyblade," said an annoyed Tess as she helped fletch arrows, "I don't want to talk about me, not now, not ever, so just stop bothering me about it!"

"But you're so interesting," Kairi insisted, "you've clearly had a terrible experience in the past, and I'm curious as to how you got this way."

Tess threw aside the arrows she had been making and stood with her back turned to Kairi, sighing with impatient frustration, "you wouldn't understand, no one would understand, so just leave me alone." With that she walked towards the tree she had been sitting under a lot.

"Try me," said Kairi as she followed Tess to her tree, "I'm a good listener, maybe it'll help you feel better if you talk about it."

"My business is my own," said Tess, "it's between me and that soulless monster in Meridian, Phobos. He's as good as dead, and he will die by my hand."

"Just what is your beef with Phobos?" Kairi asked, "I get it that everyone on this world has suffered from the tyranny of Phobos, but what did he do to you that makes you want to kill him so much?"

"You wouldn't understand," Tess said again, now in a depressed tone, "nobody understands me."

"What's not to understand?" Kairi asked, "as far as I can tell, you've suffered a terrible tragedy that's filled your heart with hate and rage against a tyrant." she then looked Tess in the eye, "I've seen horrible things in the past few months since taking up my Keyblade, and some pretty bad things long before that. I've seen evil in its purest form. I've seen entire worlds threatened by dark magic users who think it's fun to make people miserable.

"I've seen a girl's heart broken because the boy she loves has so much hate in his heart that he would abandon everything in his life in order to pursue revenge. I've seen families torn apart by the darkness. I've faced creatures with no value for love and compassion. I've fought more Heartless than I'd like to count. I've seen the darkness and spat in its eye. So tell me, what's your freaking problem, Tess Thatcher?"

"You want to know my freaking problem?" Tess asked in an irate tone, as if Kairi's pestering had finally gone too far, "you want to know why I'm so full of hate and rage? Alright, I'll tell you. I'll tell you everything you want to know. But don't say later that you wished you didn't hear my story.

"It started five years ago. My mother died when I was so little, I barely remember her, so it was just my father and me. We ran a small but thriving barbershop in Meridian. My father tried not to get involved in the rebellion, nor was he considered a toady of Phobos. We tried to remain neutral. My father opened his shop to those on both sides of the war, and we seemed to be alright being in the middle.

"But one day everything came crashing down when my father accidentally cut one of his customers. It was barely a scratch, hardly noticeable, just a pinprick of blood. But the customer happened to be one of Phobos' more pompous officers that was obsessed with his looks, and he took that small cut as a personal insult. The officer went to Phobos and got approved to arrest my father and I.

"They came for us in the middle of the night. My father and I were dragged out of bed, shackled, whipped and beaten and thrown into a caged wagon, all the while as our neighbors stood there and watched without even trying to help, as if they could do anything to help without getting in trouble themselves.

"The pompous bastard responsible laughed as my father and I were whipped in the streets and thrown into the wagon. He laughed even harder as he burned our shop and home to the ground, and laughed the hardest when he saw my father and I cry at the destruction of our home and livelihood.

"The officer threw us into the castle dungeons where we both were tortured daily," Tess then took off her gloves, revealing extensive scars on the back of her hands. The scars were best described as several layers of burns and lacerations, like one brand atop another.

As if this was enough to shock Kairi, Tess then took off her jacket and pushed up the sleeves of her shirt. Kairi was appalled to see that nearly all of both of Tess's forearms were covered in scar tissue.

"I wish this was the worst of what they did to me," said Tess as she rolled down her sleeves, "my father and I were in the dungeons for three weeks, each day of which was a living hell for both of is. I was whipped and branded regularly, and then I was given to the more unscrupulous of Phobos' dogs for their pleasure.

"All of this my father was forced to watch. The officer responsible for this thought that my father would be tormented worse than I was to see me in this way, and it broke my fathers' heart every time I was whipped, burned and ravaged."

"Goodness," said Kairi in a shocked and appalled tone, "how…how old were you?"

"Eleven," said Tess as she buttoned her sleeves and put her jacket and gloves back on, "I know, I should have died, I should have died several times during my living hell. But I survived. I was tough, even as a child. I held on to my life, not just for my father's sake, but for me, for the chance that someday I would avenge myself, for even then the flame of darkness had been lit in my heart.

"Hate kept me alive; hate of my tormentors and of the officer who did this to us, but mostly, hate for Phobos."

At that Kairi was at a lost for words. What could she say to someone who had suffered so much? Fortunately for Kairi she didn't have to say anything as Tess continued her tale of woe.

"But even hate wasn't enough, for after three weeks of living hell I was at the breaking point. After 21 days of torment I couldn't take it anymore. I knew that if they came for me one more time, I wouldn't survive.

"On the 22nd day I had all but given up the will to live. I could hear them in the corridor, coming to take my father and I to the torture chamber. I felt worse than a cornered rat, for even a cornered rat can fight to the bitter end. I couldn't fight back, I was too small and by then my hands were so mangled I couldn't even grasp the bowls of gruel they fed us.

"I then began wishing that they would go away and leave me alone. I wished with all my heart that I would be invisible and they would leave. I wished so hard that I didn't even hear the door opening and the guards screaming at my father, and my father screaming back at them.

"It took a while for me to realize that they couldn't see me, neither the guards or my father. The guards thought I had escaped somehow and were threatening my father to get him to tell me how I got out of the cell. My father was just as astonished as they were that I had vanished. By then the guards where about to drag my father to the torture chamber to get him to tell them an answer he didn't know.

"I wanted to jump up and shout, to let the guards know that I was still in the cell. I knew that if they saw me, I would get the usual treatment, and most likely worse for 'attempting to escape,' but I didn't care, I wanted to save my father. But I just sat there, not daring to move or breathe more than a bit, I was so frightened.

"The guards took my father and left the cell door unlocked. I must have sat there for an hour more, waiting to see if this was some kind of trap, not daring to hope. But then I stood up and walked out of the cell.

"Just then another guard walked by but he didn't see me. I was too astonished by this to be scared. I waited for the next guard to come by and I followed him out of the dungeon, up to the ground level and out of the castle. Later I would realize that I could have gone and find my father, but by then it was too late.

"I made my way through the city, cautiously moving from block to block, always staying in the shadows, even though those who walked pass me had no idea I was there. I eventually reached the house of one of my fathers' friends and knocked on the door. But the people inside didn't see me at the doorway. They thought someone was playing a joke on them.

"I then realized that I was still invisible. It took me a while to figure out that all I needed to do was wish myself visible again, and I was. This time they saw me and immediately took me in. They asked me how I escaped and if my father was still alive, but I couldn't talk, I was to tired, to frightened and most of all, too relieved to be free to care.

"A healer treated my wounds as best as possible. The scars all over my body couldn't be removed, and I don't even want to talk about the damage inflicted from being ravaged so many times. But my hands were fixed up so they were as articulate and flexible as before, and I didn't have to worry about my face. My tormentors wanted me to keep my face, they said they liked how scared I looked.

"As I healed I focused on my new power. When the healers turned me lose, and when I was confident I had control over my power, I did two things. First I went to where my home was. The shop and house were completely burned, but a handful of items survived intact, among them my fathers' best razor, which I still have today.

"After that, I used my power to sneak back inside the castle dungeons. I admit I was terrified nearly to death, but I walked in through the front door of the castle, thought he upper corridors and down into the dungeons without them ever seeing me.

"I tried to find my father, but there was no sign of them. After a while I found myself tailing two guards, both of them happened to be the ones who ravaged me day after day. I followed them into an empty cell and made my move.

"I would later learn that the cells in the dungeons were soundproof, for what I did next should have alerted every guard in the castle. I closed the cell door, took out my fathers' razor and hamstringed the first guard. When he fell to the ground, I sliced his neck open, and as he was choking on his own blood, I took his manhood away.

"I admit that it felt good, repaying my tormentors what they did to me. It felt good to have that kind of power, and I wanted more.

"The other guard was too shocked at the sight of his mutilated and murdered comrade to scream, as if that would have saved him even if the room wasn't soundproof. I then willed myself visible again. I pointed the bloody razor at the guard and asked, in a polite tone I might add, where my father was.

"The guard was too dumbfounded to answer, so I hamstringed him as well. That got him talking, but he said he didn't know. I then began removing his fingers one by one, each time asking, and he still didn't answer.

"Just as I finished with his fingers was about to start on his toes, while contemplating the removal his manhood as well, he talked. He told me that the guards, lead by the officer who did this to my father and me, put my father on the rack. They asked my father what happened to me, they asked how I escaped. Time and time again my father screamed he didn't know. He screamed his voice out, but still they tortured him. Eventually it became too much for him and his heart gave out. The officer then ordered that my fathers' body be grounded up for Lurden meat.

"That's when I completely lost it. I sliced the guard across the belly and strangled him with his own guts. I don't know where I found the strength, maybe it was my rage and grief, maybe it had something to do with my ability, but the guard was dead nonetheless. I soon calmed down enough to will myself invisible again and I got out of the castle before the mutilated guards were found and the alarm was sounded.

"That night, under a full moon I might add, I swore an oath on my fathers' soul that I would avenge him. I swore that I would not rest until not only the officer was dead, but every soldier, Lurden, officer and anyone and anything else that served Phobos was dead, and if I could, I would slice the life from that tyrant myself."

All this time Kairi had sat there listening to Tess' story with shocked silence. Yet the scarred girl wasn't finished with her story.

"If you're wondering why I haven't killed Phobos yet, it's because of my power. I soon found out that being invisible takes its toll on my body. The longer I'm invisible, the more energy I use up and the more exhausted I am when I'm visible again.

"If I hold still while invisible, or if I'm just walking and not seriously exerting myself, I can stay invisible longer than I would if I were running. Also, I found out that my power is subject to emotions and willpower. I was terrified the first time I used my power, but I was focused in mind. I have to concentrate to be invisible.

"This really makes thing difficult when you want to kill someone you loath with every finger in your being. I tried several times to sneak up on Phobos after I learned that my father had been killed. But each time I lost my cool and became visible again before I ever got close enough to the bastard. Fortunately I never got caught, but I had to give up trying to directly assassinate Phobos. But if I couldn't murder him, I would make things as difficult for his regime as possible.

"I spent the next five years killing Phobos' dogs one by one. At first I would ambush them in the streets of Meridian. I would wait until one of the enemy soldiers was alone, then hamstring him and slice his throat. I would then mutilate the body as much as I could before more soldiers would come along and discover what I had did.

"One time I left one soldier alive without meaning too. He died in the end, but he said one word to his comrades when he was found, 'razor.' That's how I got my nickname, The Razor, and I like it.

"It wasn't long before the enemy realized that they were being stalked by someone that couldn't be seen. My power made it all but impossible for them to find me. Not even Frost the Hunter, or The Tracker, two of Phobos' top enforcers, neither of them could find me.

"It took the enemy soldiers a while to stop going out into the city alone, but that only made me train myself so I could destroy them in larger groups. I trained so I could traverse the rooftops of the city without breaking a sweat. I trained to hide in the smallest of openings, to climb the tallest of walls, to be able to overpower an enemy soldier before he knew what was happening to him

"I eventually found the officer and sliced him into so many pieces that they were barely able to identify the remains. That only partially satisfied my hate and rage, for the fire inside me will never be quenched until Phobos is dead."

Tess then looked at the still shocked Kairi, "that's my freaking problem. That's why I have so much darkness in my heart. That's why whenever someone calls me Tess Thatcher, I get irked, because Tess Thatcher ceased to exist that night five years ago under that full moon. That night I became The Razor, and I will die The Razor."

"Would saying that I feel sorry for you make any difference?" Kairi asked cautiously.

"I'd appreciate the thought," said Tess honestly, "I wouldn't have survived the past five years on my own if there was nobody to care for my wellbeing. I had to rely on the kindness of strangers to stay alive, to be able to eat and find shelter. I do appreciate the thought.

"But no, it wouldn't change me. It doesn't matter anyway, this whole mess is almost over. The final batter is coming, and one way or another, Phobos will die, if not by my hand, then by someone else that's been helped by my hand."

"And what will you do afterwards?" Kairi asked, "when Phobos is dead, what will you do?"

"There won't be an afterwards," said Tess grimly, "for when the last drop of enemy blood has been shed in this war, my razor will taste blood one last time. I've lost too much to care what happens afterwards."

Just then Riku, Ranma, Will, Caleb, Roxas and Naminé came back with Hay Lin. There was a bright moment as Taranee wareunited with her energetic friend.

Sora came over and was introduced to Hay Lin, as well as Donald, Goofy and Aiden. Hay Lin reacted to the sight of Donald and Goofy as if they were the most astonishing things in the universe, and was immediately their friends.

After a few words Sora, Riku, Aiden, Roxas and Naminé walked over to where Kairi and Tess were sitting.

Kairi met them halfway, "I can't help her," she said in an anguished tone, "Tess, she's suffered so much, I don't think anyone can save her from the darkness."

"How bad could it be?" Sora asked.

"It'll take too long to say it," said Kairi, "so I'll just show you." She then used her telepathy to tell Sora, Riku, Aiden, Roxas and Naminé the tale Tess told her.

"Good gods!" said a shocked and appalled Aiden, while Sora, Riku, Roxas and Naminé sat down in stunned silence.

"That's it in a nutshell," said Kairi.

"No wonder she's so full of hate and rage," said a disturbed Sora, "anyone would be after living through that."

"But we have to help her," said Riku stubbornly, "we can't let Tess lose herself to the darkness."

"I think she's already lost," said Roxas reluctantly, "I think she's one person that we can't help."

"We're not gods," said Naminé, "we can't help everyone. Some people just can't be helped."

"I refuse to believe that," said Riku defiantly, "there has to be some way to get through to Tess, there has to be."

"Why should you care about me?" Tess asked as she walked over. She glared at Riku, "You mean nothing to me, so why should I mean anything to you? This is my personal war against Phobos, so why should you get involved in my affairs?"

"Because a friend of mine once said that the heart may be weak, and sometimes it gives in," said Riku as he looked at Sora, "but deep down inside, there's a light that never goes out. There is still light in you, Tess Thatcher, and I'm going to save it, no matter how self-destructive you've become in your irrational quest for revenge."

"'Irrational?'" Tess asked in a slightly exasperated tone, "you call wanting to destroy a monster irrational? Phobos is the reason why my father is dead! He's the reason why my body is mutilated to the point that no man would find me desirable! Even if I weren't covered in scars," she shuddered, "the mere thought of a man touching me like that makes me want to throw up. As if that wasn't enough, the healers told me that I've been damaged inside so I can't have children of my own. I have all the reason in the world to want to kill Phobos, and you call it irrational?"

"It's irrational because you want to kill yourself when you've had your revenge!" said Riku defiantly, "look around you, Tess Thatcher, yes, that is your name. Look at all the rebels. Each and everyone of them hates Phobos as much as you do. All of them have shouldered unbearable suffering at the hands of that monstrous tyrant. They all deserve their revenge as much as you do.

"But I'll wager that none of them has any plans for suicide once the war is over. That's what makes your desire irrational. These people have all their hopes and dreams to go back to once freedom and justice is restored to this world. Some of them still have homes and families to go back to. Others will make new homes and start new families. All of them have reasons to live, and so do you.

"Do you know why you still have a reason to live, Tess Thatcher?" Riku then walked right up to her, "you have a reason to live, because if you didn't, you would have lost yourself to the darkness long ago. You probably would have become a Heartless already, but you haven't. You have a reason for living. I don't know what it is, but you have it."

Tess tried to say something to argue against Riku's words, but she couldn't find anything to say. She just stood there, trying to rationalize her actions, but she couldn't.

Sora, Kairi, Roxas, Naminé and Aiden looked at Riku with awe and respect, for he had succeeded where Kairi had failed. Riku had, somewhat, reached Tess and was beginning to save her from the darkness.

…New Hollow Bastion…

"So these guys will find Saotome and the other riffraff that needs extermination?" Pantyhose Taro asked as he, Rakel, Erika, Konrad and Reddik, observed a room full of lesser Hakonians, who were using various magical means to search time and space for the Keyblade Wielders.

"If they're anywhere in creation," said Konrad, "then the proletarians here will find them."

"In the meantime we have been gathering a force of Heartless and Nobodies guaranteed to wipe out those meddling Keyblade brats once and for all," said Reddik, "I owe them for what they did to me."

"And I owe them for what I went through in the dungeons," said Erika.

"Even though your punishment was all your fault," said Rakel, "but yes, we all owe Sora and his companions a fitting demise. So long as we remember not to harm the Keyblade Alchemist. Maleficent wants Aiden Mackenzie alive so he can find the other Princesses of Heart."

"I still don't understand why seven girls from across time and space are so important," said Pantyhose Taro, "but whatever combs your hair."

Just then one of the lesser Hakonians stood up from his crystal ball, "Lady Rakel! I think I've found them!"

"Where?" Rakel asked eager as she, Erika, Reddik, Konrad and Pantyhose Taro all crowded around the crystal ball.

"I can't be certain," said the lesser Hakonian, "there is a lot of subspace interference, and then there's the Keyblade Wielders themselves."

"What about them?" Konrad asked.

"I…I honestly don't know," said the lesser Hakonian in a perplexed manner, "as best as I can describe it, they're phasing in and out of reality. Sometimes they appear a few yards from where they were, other times they move hundreds of miles."

"Teleporting?" Reddik asked, "localized portals?"

"I'm not detecting any means of magical transport," said the lesser Hakonian.

"So they brats are using some strange way to get around," said an impatient Erika, "never mind that. Just tell us where, in a general sense, they are."

"As close as I can tell," said the lesser Hakonian, "they're on Metamore."

"That's where Nikolai and Katarina are," said Rakel.

"They went to make some sort of deal with the local baddies," said Erika, "and with this usurping prince, Phobos."

"I should have had that assignment," said Konrad, "I am perfectly capable of negotiating with royalty. It would have made a enjoyable change of pace."

"You can prattle on how much you want this mission and that later," said Rakel, "we know which would our enemies are on. As soon as we're ready, we'll go to Metamore and destroy Sora and his friends once and for all."

"And I will defeat Ranma and bring him to Maleficent," said Pantyhose Taro, "and then my idiot godfather will finally be forced to change my name!"

"Speaking of which," said Erika, "any ideas as to what name you'll want?"

"Uh…" said a dumbfounded Pantyhose Taro, "I…I don't know what kind of name I want. I've been planning how to get Happosai to change my name for so long, I guess I never really thought of what kind of name to get."

"Well we've got a few hours until we're ready to go," said Reddik, "you have until then to think of a new name."

"There's another issue at hand," said Konrad, "what about Nikolai and Katarina? I'm sure that ditzy diva won't mind that we show up out of the blue, but there's no question that Nikolai will be upset. No doubt he'll accuse us of interfering with his mission."

"Well then, we just won't tell Nikolai that we're there," said Erika, "what he doesn't know won't hurt him."

"Sneek onto Metamore, destroy our enemies, grab Aiden and Ranma, and return without Nikolai ever even suspecting our presence," said Rakel.

"Then that is just what we will do," said Reddik. "today is the day, my friends, the day that all debts owed to us are paid."

"In full," said Pantyhose Taro, while Erika, Konrad and Rakel nodded in agreement.

**The end of chapter 5**.

Next chapter, our heroes convince Tess to go with them to save the last Guardian, while our favorite antiheroes arrive to settle accounts. And later on, a surprising visitor brings dire news to Sora and the others. Reviews will be rewarded with cake and pie. See you next time!


	6. Chapter 6: Dark Reinforcement

Last time found our heroes rescuing the Air Guardian, Hay Lin, from a flying island. At the same time, Kairi attempted to get Tess to come out of her shell, and boy did Kairi get more than she asked for. But it was Riku who truly managed to get through to Tess's heart.

In Meridian, Elyon learned that Katarina isn't as dumb as the sultry Hakonian lead everyone else to believe. The deceived princess then came face to face with a Heartless for the first time and began do have doubts about her seemingly perfect brother.

On New Hollow Bastion, the four Hakonians and Pantyhose Taro learned that Sora and the others were on Metamore and prepared to strike. 'Nuff said, on with the show!

**Chapter 6: Dark Reinforcements**

"Do you know why you still have a reason to live, Tess Thatcher?" Riku then walked right up to her, "you have a reason to live, because if you didn't, you would have lost yourself to the darkness long ago. You probably would have become a Heartless already, but you haven't. You have a reason for living. I don't know what it is, but you have it."

Tess tried to say something to argue against Riku's words, but she couldn't find anything to say. She just stood there, trying to rationalize her actions, but she couldn't.

Sora, Kairi, Roxas, Naminé and Aiden looked at Riku with awe and respect, for he had succeeded where Kairi had failed. Riku had, somewhat, reached Tess and was beginning to save her from the darkness.

"You actually think I have a reason to live?" Tess asked stubbornly, "you're crazier than I am. I have nothing; no family, no real friends, no home to return to, no livelihood, nothing. All I'm good for is espionage and assassination. I'm pretty sure that my talents won't be needed when the war is over."

"That's still no excuse to commit suicide," said Riku, "and you're definitely not insane."

"Well then tell me what my reason to live is!" exclaimed Tess angrily, "what the hell do I have to live for once the war is over! Well! What?"

"That's something you're going to have to figure out for yourself," said Riku, "now if you'll excuse me, I believe Roxas has something to give to Sora."

"Oh, right," said Roxas. He then handed the scroll and pouch to Sora, "these are from Tinker Bell."

"From Tink!" a surprised Sora asked as he took the scroll and pouch..

"Yeah," said Roxas, "and she looked to be kinda angry with you. I'd read the letter first."

Sora opened the scroll, "it's from Tink alright. Oh, she is mad with me for ignoring her. I guess I should tell her I'm sorry."

"You can tell her in person," said Kairi, "I'd like to meet Tink."

"We'll meet her soon," said Sora, "as soon as we get the new Gummy ship, we'll visit Neverland."

"I'd like to see Neverland myself," said Aiden, "and all the other worlds."

"What's in the rest of the scroll?" Donald asked.

Sora finished reading Tink's letter, "it says that this pouch is full of Pixy Dust, a gift from all the fairies of Neverland. There's another thing I'll have to thank Tink for."

"So now we can all fly," said Goofy, "gwarsh!"

"Looks like we won't have a monopoly on flying for long," said Will as she used the Heart of Kandracar to scry over the map of the world, "All we need to do is find Irma and then we'll all be together again. And then we can go save Elyon."

"But first then we'll have to fight that big Heartless all over again," said Cornelia, "I'm sure Phobos will sick his new pet on us the second we show our faces in Meridian.

"That horrible thing makes gives me the willies," said Taranee in a nervous tone.

"But this time we won't have to fight it alone," said Hay Lin as she and Naminé compared sketches.

"Darn right we'll help fight that thing," said Kairi, "now that we all can fly, we'll take that thing down in no time."

"And then we'll show Phobos that he can't mess around with the darkness without consequences," said Riku. He then noticed that Tess was looking at him strangely, as if she now was trying to figure him out.

"If you wish to know," said Riku, "my reason to live is my friends and everyone else. I fight so that those I care about and all those who wish to live in peace and happiness can do so. I fight to keep the darkness at bay. That's my reason for living. And my friends can all say the same."

"You got that right," said Sora, while Kairi, Aiden, Donald, Goofy and Ranma nodded in agreement.

"You're risking your lives for the sake of others," said Tess in a distant yet focused tone, "for people you barely know, for total strangers who probably wouldn't even think about helping you in return, all for a cause that's all but hopeless. But why? Why do it? Please, tell me."

"We really never had a choice in the matter," said Sora, "Me, Kairi, Riku and Aiden, the Keyblade chose each of us. Fighting the darkness is our destinies, even if it's so full of danger that we could get killed at any moment."

"We couldn't quit even if we wanted to," said Kairi as she summoned her Keyblade and held it out to Tess, "go on, take it."

Cautiously, Tess took the Keyblade. For some reason, holding it made Tess smile, as if the Keyblade felt good in her hands. But then it vanished and reappeared in Kairi's hand.

"What the…?" exclaimed Will.

"Wow!" said both Hay Lin and Taranee.

"How'd you…!" exclaimed Cornelia.

"It's a part of us," said Riku, "nothing can separate a Keyblade from its chosen wielder."

"Can I see yours?" Caleb asked.

"Enjoy," said Riku as he handed his Keyblade to Caleb.

"Perfectly balanced," said an amazed Caleb as he held up the Keyblade, "and it hardly weighs a thing." He handed it back to Riku, "what I wouldn't give to have a sword like that."

"Just so long as you don't sell your soul," said Will as she hovered over the map of Metamore again, "anyway, if anyone's interested, I've found Irma."

"Where?" Hay Lin frantically asked.

"Somewhere in the middle of the ocean," said Will as the Heart of Kandracar pointed to a spot hundreds of miles from land.

"That part of the ocean has thousands of small islands," said Caleb as he retrieved a map of that part of the world. "We could look for days and not find Irma."

"Hey, don't belittle The Heart of Kandracar," said Will as she began scrying over the new map.

"Will's going to find Irma in no time," said Hay Lin.

"Hopefully in a part that isn't infested with sea monsters," said Kairi as she checked the book King Mickey gave our heroes, "sharks, giant squids, sea serpents and other horrible things."

"Isn't there any place on this crazy world that doesn't have monsters of some kind?" Aiden asked in an exasperated tone.

"Not that we've seen," said Will, "this world is pretty much a monster's paradise."

"That's true enough," sighed Taranee.

"Just our luck," said Aiden, "alright," he sighed, "we might as well get ready. Who's going this time? I'll go, I might as well go."

"Me too," said Ranma.

"Haven't you had enough?" Aiden asked, "you've gone to save the last three Guardians. Aren't you tired?"

"Not really," said Ranma as he stretched, "a little restless, but not tired. Actually, I'm a little disappointed. I've fought a lot of Heartless today, but none that are really strong."

"Are you kidding me?" Will asked, "what about that big fire thing at the volcano? And the big tree-like Heartless when we found Cornelia. And then there was that big bird when we rescued Hay Lin."

"Still not much of a challenge," said Ranma, "not after all the crap that I've been through."

"What kind of crap?" Cornelia asked.

"Try having an unscrupulous, irresponsible, cowardly father drag you on a training mission all over the world when you're just a kid," said Ranma, "and also getting engaging to an irrationally-minded, man-hating, uncute tomboy who hates your guts."

"Wow," said Hay Lin, "that's heavy."

"It's worse," said Ranma, "imagine also getting engaged against your will to several more girls, each one crazier than the last. And also being targeted by other martial artists who want to kill you."

"Now that's heavy," said Taranee.

"It's worse," said Ranma.

"How much worse can it be?" Will asked.

It was at that time that one of the rebels tripped over a rock. He then bumped into a rebel who was carrying an armful of arrows. That rebel accidentally tossed the arrows into the air. Everyone nearby had to dodge the falling arrows.

One rebel who dodged a bunch of arrows knocked into another rebel, forcing him to toss up a jug of water. That jug then fell on Ranma, completely drenching him in cold water. In the blink of an eye, Ranma became shorter, much more curvier and his hair turned bright red.

"Oh for crying out loud!" snapped Ranma-Chan, "of all the rotten luck!"

"Oh, right," said a surprised but relaxed Riku, "we still need to help you with the curse."

"Ya' think?" an irate Ranma-Chan asked.

Sora then saw that Will, Cornelia, Hay Lin and Taranee, as well as Caleb, Tess and everyone else, was looking at Ranma as if this was the most shocking and extraordinary thing in the universe.

"Uh…Ranma has this really embarrassing curse," said Kairi, "cold water turns him into a girl and hot water turns him back into a boy."

"I can help with that," said Taranee as she got over her shock. She took another jug of water and used her magic to heat it up. She then tossed the jug to Ranma-chan and she pored it over her head, becoming Ranma again.

"Thanks," said Ranma.

"Any time," said a still slightly disturbed Taranee.

"I stand corrected," said Will, "it can be worse."

Just then Tess started laughing brightly, as if she really found the situation funny. "I'm sorry," she gasped between laughs, "I'm really sorry, but that has to be the most ridiculous thing I have ever seen!"

"Glad you find my misery so funny," said an annoyed Ranma, "you think you've suffered? I'd like to see you live my life, with a curse that causes you to be regularly splashed with water and end up switching genders, sometimes in really embarrassing and potentially lethal situations. Try having to put up with multiple boys and girls out to get you one way or another; either they wanna marry you or they wanna kill you. Try living with an irate fiancée who hates your guts with a vengeance. Try putting up with a dirty old man who uses martial arts to molest you on a daily basis."

"What was that last one?" Cornelia asked.

Ranma then told Will and the other Guardians about Happosai.

"Good grief!" said an appalled Will, while Taranee, Hay Lin and Cornelia looked at Ranma with stunned silence.

"That's it in a nutshell," said Ranma.

"You put up with all that?" Tess asked in a slightly bewildered tone.

"And lived to tell the tale," said Ranma, "and by some divine miracle with my head intact."

"It's true," said Sora, "after all that Ranma's been through, he's still as sane as the rest of us."

"Assuming we're all sane to begin with," said Aiden.

"Wow," said an amazed Tess, "I guess there are others worse off than I am," she looked at Ranma, "I spent five years believing that I have suffered the worst that hell could throw at me, but you… you've really suffered."

"I'll bet you two can trade stories of suffering," said Riku.

"If we're done talking about pain and suffering," said Will, "I think I know which island Irma is on."

"Then let's go save her already!" said Aiden.

"I think I'll come as well," said Riku.

"Count me in," said Matt as he strapped a sword to his back.

"Same with me," said Sora, while Kairi, Donald and Goofy nodded in agreement.

"Can I come to?" Hay Lin asked, "Irma's my best friend and I want to be there when her memory isn't full of holes any more."

"Sure thing," said Kairi.

"Um… if it's okay with you all," said Tess hesitantly, "I…I'd like to go with you. I…I want to help."

"I don't think a razor blade will work against The Heartless," said Taranee.

"Any weapon in which you put your heart into is effective against The Heartless," said Kairi, "but you maybe right, a razor blade isn't the best weapon to use."

"And didn't she had a death wish just now?" Cornelia asked, "I doubt someone with suicide on her mind would be able to help save our friend."

"I still want to help," said Tess in a more confident tone, "I don't want to kill myself, not now anyway. And besides," she then took up a nearby short sword from a pile that had been freshly sharpened, waved it around experimentally, sheathed it and tied it to her waist, "razors aren't my only specialty."

"Okay then," said Sora, "welcome aboard."

Naminé then took Will's hand, Roxas grabbed Matt, Sora held onto Donald, Kairi held onto Goofy and Riku took Tess' hand, while Ranma held onto Hay Lin, leaving Aiden with empty hands. They all then vanished into the Möbius Continuum and reappeared on the beach of a remote island. They were about a few yards from a small forest of palm trees.

"Nice place," said Aiden as they all looked around at the picturesque scenery.

"One would think that there isn't a war going on," said Matt.

"We'll fix things on this world," said Will, "somehow we'll save Elyon and get rid of Phobos."

"But first we have to find Irma," said Hay Lin in an anxiously, "where could she be?"

Just then a girl, about 13 or so, with shoulder-length honey colored hair and wearing a slightly dirty red t-shirt under a brown jacket and blue jeans, wandered out from the palm trees and approached our heroes, "Um…are you guys looking for me? I really hope so, 'cause I'd like to get out of here, like now if that's okay?"

"Irma!" exclaimed Will and Hay Lin as they both ran to the girl and embraced her.

"Um…" said the taken aback girl, Irma, "do I know you two?"

"We're your friends," said Hay Lin, "Irma, it's me! Hay Lin! Your BFFL!"

"And I'm Will," said the red-haired keeper of The Heart of Kandracar, "we met at school during the science fair."

Irma looked at both of them for a second before realization dawned on her face, "oh yeah, it is you guys! I remember…something," she smiled widely, "I definitely remember you, Hay Lin, like I could ever forget. But…it's like someone turned my brain into Swiss Cheese, moldy cheese at that."

"You were hit by a very powerful curse," said Naminé as she summoned her sketchbook and pens, "but I can help you," she opened to a fresh page and quickly drew Irma's portrait, "just wait a moment and you'll be back to your old self again."

"Wow, you're good," said Irma as she saw the sketch of her face, "not as good as someone else I know, but good."

"At least you remember my super drawing skills," said Hay Lin.

Naminé then placed her hands on Irma's side and sent a pulse of healing magic into her mind. Irma blinked several times.

"Wait…it's all coming back now The science fair! Our project was to prove that too much fertilizer kills plants, but Corney's plan wouldn't die! Then we all met at the Silver Dragon and Hay Lin's grandma told us about our powers! Then we all got wings, and then that's when things got really, really crazy!"

"You're back!" exclaimed Hay Lin as she hugged Irma and she hugged back.

Irma then got serious, "wait, what about Cornelia! And Taranee! We all got blasted by Phobos' funky mojo. And that really big Heartless, that Chimeritron or whatever that weird warlock called it!"

"They're all fine," said Will in a reassuring manner, "we had move the rebel base to another place, but everyone's alright. And we have friends now who are here to help us fight The Heartless."

Sora and the others then introduced themselves.

"What world did you come from?" Irma asked Donald and Goofy as she tried to hold in her giggles.

"A good world!" Donald insisted.

"And full of good people," said Goofy.

"You think they're funny," said a grinning Hay Lin, "wait till you see what Ranma can do."

"What are…oh no!" said Ranma, "no way am I doing that."

"You don't have to do anything," said Hay Lin. She then whispered something into Irma's ear, causing Irma to grin eagerly as well.

"No!" Ranma demanded, "I just changed back!"

"Sorry," said Irma in a mischievous tone, "but I have to see this for myself." she then waved her hand, causing a globe of water to rise up from the nearby ocean. Irma then pointed at Ranma, causing the water to splash him in the face, turning him back into Ranma-chan again.

"OMG!" exclaimed a laughing Irma, "that's so awesome!"

"Oh yeah, really funny!" said an irate Ranma-chan as she took off her soaked shirt and wrung it out. Every boy in the group hastily turned around so as not to look at the half-naked Ranma-Chan, but they saw a bit and it caused a sudden outbreak of slightly bloody noses.

"It is funny," said a giggling Tess.

"Oh yeah," said Irma, "I know you, we saved you last week. You're…Teresa, or something like that."

"Just Tess," she said. She then paused, as if realizing that she had used her real name to introduce herself for the first time in a while, "yeah, that is my name. I am Tess Thatcher."

"You never stopped being her," said Riku.

"Okay," said Ranma-Chan as she put her shirt back on, "the next person who soaks me today gets a fist to their face, I mean it!"

All further conversation was cut off by the sudden appearance of a single Heartless that bore a resemblance to a large black frog that was covered in dripping slime. Needle-like claws protruded from its webbed forepaws.

"Oh gross!" exclaimed a disgusted Will, "and I like frogs!"

Just then another frog-like Heartless appeared, then another, then another and another. Before our heroes knew it, they were surrounded by frog-like Heartless.

"Someone out there in the cosmos has a sick imagination!" said Matt as he drew his sword.

"And we have to put up with it," said Sora as he, Riku, Kairi, Aiden and Roxas summoned their Keyblades.

"Story of our lives," said Aiden.

"Let's get this over with," said Will as she held up the Heart of Kandracar, "Irma, you ready?"

"I was born ready!" said an eager Irma.

"Same here!" said an eager Hay Lin.

"Then let's do this!" said Will, "Guardians Unite!"

"Don't you steal my catchphrase!" said an annoyed Aiden as Will, Irma and Hay Lin transformed.

"You should get it copyrighted," said Kairi.

"That's a good idea," said Aiden, "I'll do that someday."

The frog-like Heartless then attacked, leaping towards our heroes with their clawed forepaws reaching out to stab and slash.

"These things are the limit!" said Kairi as she swatted one leaping Heartless aside, "and what should we call them?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Sora asked as he stabbed one frog-like Heartless, then decapitated another, "Hoppers."

"Sounds like a winner to me," said Riku as he cut down one Hopper after another.

More and more Hoppers appeared, but our heroes held their own against the swarms of frog-like Heartless, especially Will, Irma and Hay Lin.

The Air and Water Guardians were a perfect team as they combined their respective elements. Hay Lin would blast the Hoppers into the air with gusts of wind and Irma would blast them down with spheres and jets of water. They both then combined to make a water tornado that ripped dozens of the Hoppers into pieces.

Ranma-Chan then destroyed another large group of Hoppers with a Kachu Tenshin Amaguriken attack, while Aiden destroyed another group by transmuting the sand under the attacking Heartless into glass spikes.

"I never really knew just how artistic Alchemy could be," said Aiden as he admired his work.

Everyone then realized that the area was free of Heartless for the moment.

"Let's get out of here before another Boss shows up," said Sora.

Suddenly something really big emerged from the ocean waves, something that was a really, really big Hopper.

"You just had to say it," said an annoyed Ranma-Chan as the giant amphibious Heartless, the King Hopper as it would later be called, jumped up. It then fell towards Ranma and Sora. They rolled out of the way in time to avoid being squished.

The King Hopper then flicked its oversized tongue at Will. She flew out of the way in time to avoid getting struck. The tongue tip hit the sand and where the creature's foul saliva touched the sand, it smoked as if the vile liquid was acid

"Don't let that stuff touch you!" shouted Will as she blasted the King Hopper, but didn't do much damage.

The King Hopper then looked up at Will and spat a large glob of acid at her. She dodged it, but the glob splashed onto the ground and broke apart, causing a small amount of the acid to hit Kairi on the leg. She screamed in agony as the acid ate into her flesh.

"Kairi!" exclaimed Sora as he ran over to her.

"I'm alright!" said Kairi through gritted teeth as she tried to use her healing magic on her leg, but it only slowed down the acid, "no, I'm definitely not alright!"

"Heal!" shouted both Donald and Sora. The combined healing spells stopped the progress of the acid, but Kairi was still in bad shape.

"Nobody messes with my friend like that!" shouted Aiden as he transmuted the sand under the King Hopper into glass spikes. But it jumped out of the way to avoid being impaled.

It landed right where Matt and Roxas had been a few seconds ago. Roxas then charged at the King Hopper, but his Keyblades merely bounced off the creature's slimy hide.

"I don't think physical attacks can work!" said Matt.

"And that thing is way too fast for its size!" said Roxas as he tried to blast the King Hopper with a Fireball, but it jumped out of the way.

"We've got to get it to hold still!" shouted Riku.

"I've got an idea!" said Tess. She hand been standing out of the way with Naminé, but now she was standing tall and ready for action. She ran in front of the King Hopper, "Hey! Ugly! Why don't you try me on for size!"

The King Hopper let out a loud croak and spat at Tess. She dodged the glob of acid, then she seemed to vanish. She reappeared a few seconds later a few yards away, "is that the best you can you, wart-face!"

The giant frog-like Heartless croaked again and spat at Tess. Tess dodged the acid glob and vanished again.

"You couldn't spit on the broad side of a bard, wart-fact!" shouted Tess as she dodged another glob of acid. She then vanished and reappeared behind the King Hopper, then appeared in front of it again.

"My father can spit better than you!" shouted Tess as she dodged another glob of acid, "and he's dead!"

By this time the giant frog-like was extremely confused by the girl who could vanish at will.

"He's all coo-coo eyed," said Irma.

"Then let's finish it!" said Sora. He, Donald and Roxas then blasted the King Hopper with massive Thunder spells. The triple electrocution completely blew the giant-frog-like Heartless away, blasting its body into black smoke, and from that smoke emerged a giant crystal heart that vanished into the air.

"And that's that," said Kairi as she and Naminé finished healing her leg so it was good as new.

"Talk about your gooey situations," said Irma as she, Will and Hay Lin powered down to their normal size and attire.

"I really missed your jokes," said Hay Lin.

"We all did," said Will, "even Cornelia."

"I'll bet she did," said Irma.

"Can we go now?" Aiden asked, "for some reason this island paradise doesn't seem so great anymore."

"You won't get any arguments from me," said Ranma-Chan. Everyone grasped hold of everyone, with Irma holding onto Aiden, and they all vanished back into the Möbius Continuum.

* * *

…Meridian…

The Dark Corridor opened up, from which emerged Reddik, Rakel, Konrad, Erika and Pantyhose Taro.

"Let's make this quick," said Reddik, "find the Keyblade Wielders and deal with them before Nikolai senses that we're here."

"Easier said than done," said Erika. The four Hakonians and dark martial artist then realized that they had arrived right in the middle of Phobos' throne room, with the usurping prince and Nikolai right in front of them.

"What in the nine circles of damnation are you doing here?" an irate Nikolai demanded, "I did not call for reinforcements!"

"We're not here to help you in your business," said Rakel, "we're here because we feel like it."

"Just ignore us," said Konrad, "we'll show ourselves out of this place," he looked around at the dark architecture of the throne room, "and such a quaint place it is," he snorted with mild disgust, "rather pathetic really."

"I'll have you intruders know that this is the height of dark décor on this world!" said an irate Phobos.

"I suggest you get a consultant on that," said Erika, "a second opinion would really help, and get a third wile you're at it, just to be safe."

Nikolai then looked at the four other Hakonians in an accusing manner, "you're here to fight the Keyblade Wielders, aren't you!"

"So what if we are," said Rakel, "Maleficent ordered us to deal with them."

"And I'm to capture Ranma Saotome," said Pantyhose Taro, "got a problem with that, four-eyes?"

"As a matter of fact I do have a problem with it," said Nikolai, "And don't make fun of my glasses! I have the situation completely under control. And besides, if you were supposed to find and destroy the Keyblade brats, why did you come to my location instead?"

"That's a good question," said Reddik, "there must still be subspace interference around The World that Never Was. Someone, or something, is sabotaging our efforts."

"Sabotage?" Nikolai asked, "who or what is sabotaging us?"

"That's what the proletarians are trying to discover," said Konrad, " as if the stupid peasants can do anything right."

"In the meantime," said Rakel, "we've been dispatched to dispatch the brats."

"We were supposed to deal with Sora and his loser friends while you finished up your business with Phobos here," said Erika.

"That's Prince Phobos to you outworlders," said an irate Cedric as he and a dozen guards entered the throne room. He looked at Phobos, "shall I have the intruders removed with extreme prejudice?"

"Not just yet, Cedric," said Phobos, "I am curious as to these newcomers." He looked at Reddik, Rakel, Konrad, Erika, and Pantyhose Taro in an appraising manner, "you've fought the Keyblade Wielders?"

"And lived to tell the tale," said Rakel, "unlike poor Ulrik."

"While some of us have come off worse for wear," said Reddik as he indicated his perminantly stained skin.

"And I've battled against Ranma Saotome several times," said Pantyhose Taro, "in a one on one fight, he stands no chance against me. He's only survived due to him having others to support him, the pathetic, cross-dressing loser."

"We have a lot of experience against the Keyblade Wielders, Nikolai," said Reddik, "whereas you've only seen images of their exploits."

"Are you implying that I am not up to the task!" Nikolai demanded.

"Maybe," said Rakel, "you've always been the intellectual of the group."

"While the rest of us are more hands-on people," said Erika.

"So you say," said Nikolai, "I admit that you all have fought the Keyblade Wielders, but you have all failed to destroy them. But where you all failed, I shall surely succeed."

"Big words for a big brain," said Pantyhose Taro, "just what makes you think you can beat them?"

"Simple," said Nikolai as he straightened his glasses, "with the cooperation of my gracious host, Prince Phobos, I shall divine the location of the brats, and their allies, the local rebels and The Guardians of the Veil. After that I shall conceive a battle plan and execute it, thereby crushing the brats in a tide of Heartless and local soldiery."

"Well we have our own army," said Erika, "Heartless and Nobodies."

"Nobodies as well?" Nikolai asked in a surprised tone, "and how did you manage that impossible feat?"

"You'd be surprised what the Moogles are capable of," said Reddik as he, Rakel, Erika and Konrad displayed their wristbands, "such resourceful creatures are definitely worth keeping in my book."

"We're more than ready to face the brats this time," said Erika, "so just stay out of our way, Nikolai."

"Or what?" Nikolai asked in a threatening manner, "you'll destroy me? If it is a confrontation you wish, let me remind you that I am more advanced in the dark arts than you four could ever hope to be. I can destroy you all with just a word."

"We could destroy you before you got the chance to speak, you uncouth peasant!" snapped Konrad as he drew his rapier, while Erika assumed a fighting stance, Reddik prepaired a killing spell and Rakel pulled out her switchblades.

"Isn't this remarkable," said Phobos in an amused tone, "here I thought the rest of the afternoon would be spent in tedious negotiations," he smiled wickedly, "but instead we receive some unexpected entertainment."

"Shall I send for refreshments, Prince Phobos?" Cedric asked.

Just then the sound of Elyon's voice could be heard on the other side of the throne room door, "Phobos? Are you busy?"

"Not at all, dear sister," said Phobos in a forced cheerful tone as he cast the glamour spell on the room, "come in!"

"Now what?" Erika asked as the door opened and Elyon, Katarina and Miranda walked in.

"Be silent unless directed to speak," Nikolai whispered harshly, "the time to end the game of lies is not at hand yet."

"Dear sister," said a smiling Phobos, "how goes your new wardrobe?"

"It's getting there," said Elyon, "Katarina's been a big help with my coronation dress, but the rest of my wardrobe is still a work in progress."

"There's so many options to choose from," said Katarina, "and so little time to make a fashion statement."

"I forgot that the idiot is here," whispered Erika to Rakel.

"Oh, friends of yours?" Elyon asked Katarina.

"They're the ones I told you about," said Katarina. She then winked and whispered, "The ones who I fooled into thinking I'm an airhead."

"Oh," said Elyon in an understanding manner.

"These are…special security agents," said Nikolai, indicating his fellow Hakonians, "warrior specialists who will ensure that your coronation proceeds without incident."

"We're not…" said Konrad.

But then Nikolai shot all four Hakonians a warning glance, as well as a psychic message, _:Play along, just do it, or I'll kill you all later, slowly.:_

"Yes, we are security specialists," said Rakel hastily, "rest assure, Princess Elyon, the threat of the rebels and The Guardians will be nullified."

"If you wish, Princess Elyon," said Reddik, "we can even capture the ringleaders of this unpleasantness for your gloating pleasure."

"I don't like gloating that much," said an irate Elyon, "but do try to capture my former friends alive. I want to teach them a lesson they'll never forget. But if they give you too much trouble, you have my blessing to give Cornelia a black eye. That'll show her."

"Everything will be taken care of, Princess Elyon," said Cedric, "now if you'll excuse us, there is still so much tedious bureaucracy to deal with."

"Okay," said Elyon as she smiled brightly, "and I still have my own prep-work to take care of."

"We'll help with that," said Katarina, "won't we, Miranda?"

"Whatever Princess Elyon wishes," said Miranda. With that the three of them left the throne room.

"Now that that is taken care of," said Phobos as he released the glamour on the throne room, "where were we?"

"I was telling my comrades to go away," said Nikolai, "but since you've decided to add them to the deception, I guess there is no choice," he glared at Reddik, Konrad, Erika and Rakel, "since you four are so eager to destroy the Keyblade brats, you can destroy The Guardians and the rebels as well," he looked at Pantyhose Taro, "and you can bring Ranma Saotome to Maleficent, I have no qualm with that."

"I've got no beef with you," said Pantyhose Taro, "just so long as you stay out of my way."

"Why don't we make this a joint venture," said Cedric, "in which all of us will combine our resources and exterminate all of our enemies."

"An excellent suggestion, Cedric," said Phobos, "yes, we should all join forces and eradicate the rebels, the Keyblade Wielders and The Guardians, all in one swift stroke."

At that Nikolai sighed, "if that is what you desire, then I will cooperate," he glared at Reddik, Rakel, Erika and Konrad, "I will work with you imbeciles, this one time, to the extent that all our enemies are exterminated."

"We agree on that at least," said Reddik. He then looked at Phobos, "you've seen what The Heartless can do. I hope you like surprises, because you'll be amazed at what Nobodies can do."

"I have a well developed imagination," said Phobos, "I'm sure I can appreciate what these Nobodies are capable of. I'm also sure I will find great use for Nobodies, as well as Heartless, once I have this world secured and my sister's powers at my command."

"That won't happen until the day after tomorrow," said Nikolai, "there is still time for our enemies to act and ruin everything."

"Which is why I am moving the ceremony up to tomorrow afternoon," said Phobos, "I've waited nearly thirteen years for this, I refuse to wait any longer than necessary. The preparations can be completed by tomorrow afternoon. Then, when I have absorbed all that can be taken from Elyon, then I will have the strength to crush the rebels, the Guardians and the Keyblade Wielders myself!"

"We'll have taken care of the problem by then," said Reddik, "but you have fun doing your thing."

"In the meantime," said Rakel, "we'll start searching for the vermin. The sooner our enemies are located, the sooner they can be exterminated."

"Of that we agree upon," said Phobos.

* * *

"Irma!" exclaimed both Taranee and Cornelia. Our heroes arrived back at the rebel camp (upon which Ranma-Chan immediately went in search of hot water) and were greeted by the Fire and Earth Guardians, whom ran and embraced their friend like a long lost sister.

"I missed you guys!" said Irma, "even Cornelia and her sarcasm!"

"And I missed your bad jokes!" said Cornelia.

"I just missed you plain and simple!" said Taranee.

"Well we won't miss each other any more," said Will as she and Hay Lin got together for one big group hug.

"Now that we're all together again," said Hay Lin, "nothings' gonna stop us! Not even that big Heartless!"

"Looks like the first part of our mission is a success," said Riku, "we saved The Guardians."

"Now all we got to do is bring down a psychotic tyrant and save the princess," said Sora.

"Princess," said Aiden in a thoughtful manner, "There's still the possibility that Elyon could be the next one."

"That Elyon could be a Princess of Heart?" Kairi asked, "it could be so. Did you recognize her when The Oracle showed her picture?"

"No," said Aiden, "but I don't think my vision works that way. I probably could have seen dozens of photos of Sara, Usagi and Miley, and none of those pictures would have caused a blip in my mind. No, I think I have to see Elyon face to face in order to recognize her as a Princess of Heart."

"What are you talking about?" Cornelia asked. "What's this about my friend being some other kind of princess?"

"It's complicated," said Sora, "very complicated."

"There's a distinct possibility that Elyon may have more power than even she realizes," said Kairi, "the power of a heart completely free of darkness."

"If Elyon's got such a pure heart," said Irma, "why does she hate us so much?"

"She's only tried to kill us because Phobos made her think that we're the bad guys," said Hay Lin.

"But Elyon never really tried to kill us," said Taranee in a matter of fact tone, "if she did wanted us dead, I don't think she'd have a problem actually doing it."

"I can attest to that," said Tess, "when you desire to kill someone, if you are truly motivated to take a life, one finds that they're no longer restrained by inhibitions such as pity or mercy. No, Elyon isn't that type. If she truly wished to kill you five, then she would have done so already."

"Then there is hope that we can save her," said Cornelia, "she's not completely in thrall to Phobos. If we can get to her before the coronation in two days, then we can convince her of the truth."

"And we have just what we need to convince her of the truth," said Hay Lin, "back at my place in Heatherfield, we have Phobos' Book of Secrets. It's kinda like a magical diary."

"That book has all of Phobos' dirty plans," said Cornelia, "everything, from his original takeover of Metamore, his plans for taking over the universe, and even what's he's going to do to Elyon. That last one is the worst of them all."

"Okay," said Riku, "we'll go back to your world and get the book. I'd like to see it myself."

"We'll show it to Elyon and finish the job," said Aiden, "and all in less than two days."

"We don't have two days," said Caleb as he ran up to our heroes, "I just heard from one of our spies inside the castle. Tynar says that Phobos is going to move up the coronation to tomorrow afternoon."

"Well that sucks," said Irma.

"Who's Tynar?" Sora asked.

"He's one of Phobos' goons," said Taranee, "who kinda defected to our side after we saved his life."

"He told us that the lives of the soldiers are terrible," said Hay Lin, "that Phobos sometimes treats them worse than the people of the city."

"He said that he'd talk to the other palace guards and try to get some of them to come over to our side," said Cornelia, "which could really help if we had the time to come up with a plan to save Elyon, but now…"

"But now we don't have as much time as we thought," said Sora, "so what? We can still win."

"He's right," said Will, "Caleb, how soon can the rebels be ready to fight? And can you ask Tynar how soon he can get his people ready to fight?"

"There's still a lot of people coming in from the countryside," said Caleb, "If we push it, we can have up to 2,000 armed fighters ready by midnight. And Tynar said that he's convinced about a third of the castle guard to switch sides. If we give him a little longer, we'll have almost half."

"That could definitely tip the balance in our favor," said Riku, "a large portion of Phobos' own minions turning against him at a crucial moment, we would definitely have a chance."

"Then we move at midnight," said Will, "I'll open two portals and get the army inside the castle."

"I know a place in the castle that's perfect for getting everyone inside!" Tess said brightly, "it's part of the castle water cistern. The door to that place isn't locked and hardly anyone goes in there. It's the ideal staging area for a sneak attack."

"And the element of surprise does have its merits," said Ranma, having found hot water and returned to being a guy.

"I think we have a plan here," said Sora, "it needs some more work, but I think we can pull it off."

Just then something strange and shocking happened, something Sora, Riku, Kairi, Aiden, Donald, Goofy, Ranma and everyone else gathered there that day would remember for the rest of their lives.

From out of nowhere, ten feet up in the air, appeared something. That something, as it fell and hit the ground in front of Sora and the others, turned out to be a person, a person that turned out to be another Sora.

"What the…!" exclaimed Sora, Donald and Aiden.

The other Sora, who looked like had had just escaped a war zone, with his clothes torn and slightly burned, his skin covered in small cuts and scrapes, his hair slightly singed, stood up and looked at our heroes.

"You still here," said the other Sora. He sighed with relief, "good. Look, you've got to listen to what I have to say, or else."

"Or else what?" Riku asked cautiously.

"Or else you and everyone else on Metamore is going to die," said the other Sora in a grave tone.

**The end of chapter 6.**

Next chapter, our heroes learn the shocking truth about the future. Reviews will be rewarded with cake and pie. See you next time!


	7. Chapter 7: A Dark Future Turned Bright

Last time our heroes rescued Irma, finally reuniting all five Guardians. Meanwhile, Rakel, Reddik, Erika, Konrad and Pantyhose Taro arrived on Metamore and wound up joining with Nikolai and Phobos to destroy our heroes and allies. But then something happened that would either save the world or destroy it, something that would change everything. 'Nuff said, on with the show!

**Chapter 7: A Dark Future Turned Bright**

Just then something strange and shocking happened, something Sora, Riku, Kairi, Aiden, Donald, Goofy, Ranma and everyone else gathered there that day would remember for the rest of their lives.

From out of nowhere ten feet up in the air appeared something. That something, as it fell and hit the ground in front of Sora and the others, turned out to be a person, a person that turned out to be another Sora.

"What the…!" exclaimed Sora, Donald and Aiden.

The other Sora, who looked like had had just escaped a war zone, with his clothes torn and slightly burned, his skin covered in small cuts and scrapes, his hair slightly singed, stood up and looked at our heroes.

"You're still here," said the other Sora. He sighed with relief, "good. Look, you've got to listen to what I have to say, or else."

"Or else what?" Riku asked cautiously.

"Or else you and everyone else on Metamore is going to die," said the other Sora in a grave tone.

"I'm sorry, what?" Kairi asked.

"He just said that we're all going to die," said a disturbed Matt.

"No way!" exclaimed Riku, "no freaking way! There can't be two Sora's!"

"This can't be real," said Aiden as he shook his head in denial, "this…it's got to be some sort of trick."

"This is the kind of thing Maleficent would pull," said Sora.

"This has nothing to do with Maleficent," said the other Sora, "I'm serious, guys, you've got to hear me out."

"Why should we?" Caleb asked in an accusing tone, "for all we know, you're one of Phobos' minions."

"It wouldn't be the first time that creep used imposters," said Hay Lin, "this one time, Phobos used these bird-things to masquerade as us and ruin our reputation among the people of Meridian."

"And to make Elyon think that we really are evil," said Cornelia.

"I'm not a magical imposter or a copy!" the other Sora insisted, "I am Sora, but from the future."

"That has got to be the lamest excuse I've ever heard!" said Irma, "and I've heard a lot."

"Actually," said Taranee, "time travel is possible. All those warnings about causing a disaster in time by meeting yourself is all fiction, so this Sora may indeed be from the future."

"Prove it!" said the real Sora, "if you're me from the future, then prove you're not a fake."

"If I were a fake," said the other Sora, "would I be able to do this?" he summoned a Keyblade, exactly like the one used by the real Sora.

Sora then summoned his Keyblade and compared it to the one wielded by the other Sora, "they're the same," he said in a disturbed yet amazed tone, "they're perfect matches."

"I'm not convinced," said Donald. He looked at the other Sora, "what did Goofy and I say to you when we met in Traverse Town? When we talked about going to look for Riku and Kairi."

"That your ship ran on happy faces," said the other Sora, "and I did this!" he then smiled in the same silly way he did on that fateful day in Traverse Town.

"That's Sora alright!" said Goofy as he and Donald laughed.

"Well I'm not convinced," said Aiden stubbornly, "alright, answer this; why can't I go home to The State yet?"

"Your faith in Equivalent Exchange," said the other Sora, "Aiden, you believe that since you gained the power of the Keyblade, as well as a whole lot of alchemy stuff in your head, you had to give up something, your home and your friends. Also, since you can identify the new Princesses of Heart, you feel that you can't go home until you've found all seven."

"He's Sora alright," said Aiden.

"Riku," said the other Sora, "back home, on the islands, when we were putting the raft together, we had a race. I said that if I won, I'd be captain. You said that if you won, you'd get to share a Paopu fruit with Kairi."

"That's right!" said an astonished Riku.

"And Kairi," said the other Sora, "when we rescued you from the old Hollow Bastion, after I told you that you had to stay in Traverse Town so I could go save Riku from the Heartless of Xehanort, but we thought he was Ansem at the time, you gave me your Thalasa shell charm for luck, and I gave it back when we all got back home."

The other Sora pulled out another Thalasa shell charm, but one made of red and yellow shells, "you gave me this not too long ago."

Sora also pulled out his red and yellow Thalasa charm and compared it to the one held by the other Sora, "it's the same again, he's me alright!"

"But how?" a confused Kairi asked, "and why? If you're really from the future, why did you come back in time?"

"To warn you all," said the other Sora in a serious tone. "First of all, Reddik, Rakel, Erika and Konrad are all here on Metamore. I don't know exactly when they got here, but they're now working with Phobos."

"I should have known those creeps would get involved," said an irate Aiden.

"It's worse," said the other Sora, "there are two other Hakonians who were working with Phobos before the other four got here. First there's Nikolai; a really strong and merciless warlock. He's the one working with Phobos to build some kind of alliance with Maleficent.

"The other is Katarina. She's a total airhead but really strong," he looked at Ranma in a grave tone, "really strong. She nearly kills you."

"Uh…okay," said Ranma in an unsure tone, "umm…thanks for the warning, I guess."

"I'm not done yet," said the other Sora, "in less than 2 hours or so, Phobos and Nikolai will figure out where the rebel camp is. They'll send Reddik, Rakel, Erika and Konrad with a horde of Heartless, enemy soldiers and other local monsters and baddies. Oh, they've also got Nobodies as well."

"Great," said an irate Riku, "now we get to fight Nobodies again.

"Just our luck," muttered Donald.

"It's still worse," said the other Sora, "not for all of us, but for you in particular, Riku. Will used the double portals to get the rebels to another safe place, while my friends and I held off the enemy. Things got really rough and more than a handful of rebels don't make it, especially after that big Heartless is called in."

"What big Heartless?" Sora asked.

"I think he means the big one that we fought and lost to," said a slightly nervous Will.

"Yes," said the other Sora, "it was that big one; the Chimericon. But this time we all were ready for it," he looked at Sora and the others, "that big one has a weak spot at the back of the neck. I used some of Tink's pixy dust to attack it directly and I hit it in the right spot to cause it to nearly fall out of the air. Hit it enough times in the back of the neck and it'll go down for good."

"Of course, the back of the neck!" said Taranee, "why didn't we figure it out before?"

"I think it was because we were getting our butts kicked," said Irma, "but I could be wrong."

"That's a good reason," said Hay Lin.

"So we kill that big Heartless," said Kairi, "that's good, right?"

"If only the battle ended there," said the other Sora in a grave tone. He looked at Riku, "I'm sorry to say this, but at some point in the fight, Tess will be killed."

At that everyone was stunned into silence.

"I die?" Tess asked in a slightly terrified tone after a minute or so, "how does that happen?"

"It was Cedric," said the other Sora, "he saw you. Well, not really saw you, but he saw that getting splashed with blood while invisible is as good as painting a target on you. That big snake monster grabbed and bit you."

"And Cedric's venom is what will do me in," said Tess, "if I don't bleed to death first."

"No, the poison is what kills you," said the other Sora.

"Of course," sighed Tess, "not exactly how I planned to end it, but…at least I'll have the chance to take that scaly bastard with me, right?"

"He kills you before you get a chance to defend yourself," said the other Sora in a matter of fact tone.

"Oh," said Tess in a deflated tone.

"I won't let that happen!" exclaimed Riku, "now that we know what goes wrong, we'll make sure that it doesn't go wrong."

"Speaking of which," said the other Sora as he looked at Ranma, "that guy you told us about, Happosai's godson who turns into a monster, he's here as well."

"Pantyhose Taro?" a shocked Ranma asked, "how'd that happen?"

"I don't know," said the other Sora, "during the battle, he said something about Maleficent promising to make Happosai change his name."

"Good luck with that!" said Ranma, "okay, so the nylon freak is here, not really all that surprising. So, what happens? Do we fight at all?"

"You managed to hold him off long enough for the rest of us to get away through the double portals," said the other Sora, "that fight ends in a draw, but the really bad part happens later.

"After everyone rests for a bit, Will uses the double portals again to get inside the castle at Meridian. We managed to reach Elyon in her room, while at the same time Caleb sent word to the palace guards who had sided with that one soldier that Will and the others helped."

"Tynar," said Will.

"Yeah," said the other Sora, "He and a whole lot of other soldiers rose up and began fighting the soldiers and monsters loyal to Phobos. Everything seemed to be going according to plan, but when we got to Elyon's room, we found that she wasn't alone; that other Hakonian, Katarina, was with here, as well as another girl, named Miranda. She turns into some kind of spider creature."

At that Blunk cried out in terror, "no! Not good! Very bad! Spider people who can look like people are kind of monster that eat Passlings!"

"Oh good," said Irma sarcastically, "we can use you as bait to lure her away."

"We actually did that," said the Sora, "Blunk lured Miranda out of the room. Kairi and I then went inside and told Elyon that Cornelia needed to talk with her, that it was a matter of life or death.

"Being so under Phobos' thumb as she was, Elyon was adamant about never wanting to talk to Cornelia," he looked at said Earth Guardian, "you told me before we went in to tell Elyon that all you wanted was five minutes of her time and she would never have to see you or any of the other girls again. Elyon reluctantly said yes at that.

"All this time Katarina sat there watching us as if it were some kind of really gripping soap opera. Anyway, Cornelia came in with Phobos' Book of Secrets, we went back to Hay Lin's place to get it by the way. To make a long story short, Cornelia and Elyon argued over who was good and who was bad. Cornelia then put her foot down by showing the magical recordings of Phobos' plans that were in his book.

"Hearing his own evil from his own lips convinced Elyon that her brother was evil and that she had been deceived. It left her devastated, but when Will and the others came in and told Elyon that they had to get her out of there, Elyon didn't resist. By then Katarina realized what was going on and attacked, breaking Kairi's arm in the process."

"Which arm?" Kairi asked in an uncomfortable tone as she first held her right arm then her left.

"Left," said Sora, "but then Ranma came in and fought Katarina. That's when things began to get crazy. Miranda must have sounded the alarm and the corridors were soon crawling with Heartless and Nobodies. By then Tynar and his soldiers were fighting the other soldiers, while the rebels were storming the castle.

"Reddik and the other Hakonians showed up, as well as Nikolai, Cedric and Phobos. At the same time, Caleb and the other Rebels were fighting their way to us from below, while Tynar and his forces had the enemy soldiers on the defensive. Caught between three forces, Phobos and the other baddies were soon backed into a corner. Things really started to go bad for Phobos when Elyon pulled herself together and started blasting Heartless and Nobodies. She can be really scary when angry."

"We know that first hand," said Taranee, while Will, Irma, Cornelia and Hay Lin nodded in agreement.

"I'll bet Elyon had every right to be angry," said Kairi, "she just learned the truth; that not only had she been deceived into betraying her friends, but that her brother was also planning to kill her."

"Exactly," said the other Sora, "Elyon said that Phobos was done, forever. Phobos then tried to beg for his life, saying that he was her brother. Elyon responded by saying that Phobos was never her brother."

"That's Elyon for you," said Cornelia, she then looked at the other Sora somberly "but that's when things started to go bad for us, right?"

"I'll bet that's when Phobos used something really powerful and terrible," said Hay Lin, "like another really, really strong Heartless."

"Actually, no," said Sora, "he didn't get a chance. Phobos used something worse than a Heartless, something much worse. With no way out, Phobos used his magic to release something terrible from the dungeons, something so evil and diabolical that we were completely overwhelmed before we knew what had happened."

"What was it?" Sora asked in a slightly fearful tone.

"Phobos said that it was a Wamphyri Lord," said the other Sora, "that thing called itself Dmitri, but it looked like some kind of vampire. Whatever it was, it was really, really strong and fast. Our Keyblades could barely scratch it, and the attacks Will and the other Guardians used kept missing, it was so fast.

"Pantyhose Taro then splashed himself with cold water. It was horrible, not as horrible as that Wamphyri, but seeing this huge monster that looked like a yeti, a bull, and eel, a crane and a octopus, it cause nearly all the rebels and defecting soldiers to lose heart and run, or, they tried to run, before Cedric and the other baddies began murdering them one by one. Caleb, Tynar and the other rebel leaders tried to hold things together, but then Cedric slithered in and crushed Tynar, then he bit Caleb."

"No," said a distraught Cornelia.

"Just how bad are things going to get?" Ranma asked in an exasperated tone.

"Pretty bad," said the other Sora, "right after Caleb died, you die. That really strong Hakonian, Katarina, she breaks your neck."

"Killed by a really evil girl," said Ranma as he reflexively touched his neck with his hand, "and here I thought Akane and the others were a nightmare."

"I wish it was a nightmare," said the other Sora, "but it only keeps getting worse. Right after Ranma died, that Wamphyri, Dmitri, did something that sealed all our fates. He grew these…tentacles…out of his hands and used them to suck the life out of The Guardians," he looked at said girls, "first Hay Lin, then Cornelia, Taranee, Irma and finally Will. He grabbed you, stuck those tentacles into you and completely drained you of blood and magic."

"You're kidding," said a shocked and appalled Taranee asked, "please tell me that you're kidding."

"It can't be," said an unsteady Hay Lin, "we…we're the Guardians for crying out loud! We can't lose to some lousy vampire!"

"This isn't happening," said Irma as she sat down and hugged herself, rocking back and forth, "this just isn't happening."

"I knew we should quit while we had the chance," said Cornelia in a hopeless tone, "we shouldn't have gotten our powers in the first place."

"Oh come on!" exclaimed an irate Will, "so we're going to be killed by a vampire, or whatever that thing is. So what? Sora went back in time to tell us this so we don't die. If we know what's going to happen, then we can change it."

"She's right," said Matt, "I may not be a big science fiction fan, and come to think of it, my science grades aren't that good either, but I do know that just knowing something is going to happen can change it."

"Wibbly-wobbly timey-wimey," said Kairi, "the future isn't set. If you know what's going to happen, you can change it if you act quickly."

"I'm still not finished," said the other Sora. He then gasped in agony and doubled over, all the while his body seemed to flicker and become transparent slightly.

"What's wrong!" Sora asked, "What's happening to you?"

"I'm running out of time," said the other Sora as his body solidified again and he stood up, "my body is almost out of energy, and when I'm out of energy, I'll fade out of existence, like the others."

"What happened to us?" Kairi asked, "I mean, what's going to happen to us?"

"It's Elyon," said the other Sora, "when she saw Cornelia and the other Guardians die, she completely lost it, and I mean she really lost it. Her powers went completely berserk. There were these…discharges of magical energy that destroyed everyone and everything they touched, the good and the bad. Cedric got fried, while Pantyhose Taro got cut in half.

"But those discharges also wiped out the handful of rebels left. Phobos then made his move and used some sort of dark magic that tried to suck out Elyon's magic. His greed only made things worse. Elyon's out of control magic caused Phobos' powers to backfire and go berserk as well."

"I guess that makes sense," said Taranee, "Phobos and Elyon may be polar opposites at heart, but they're still the same blood. If Phobos tried to take Elyon's powers when hers were out of control, then his would go out of control as well. But…"

"But if they both went out of control," said Will, "then their magic would cause a double feedback against each other, building up until…"

"Kaboom," said the other Sora, "both Elyon and Phobos exploded. The whole world was completely blown to pieces. Kairi, Riku, Aiden, Roxas, Naminé, Donald, Goofy and myself escaped through the Möbius Continuum, but we were hit by the shockwave of the explosion just as we jumped. It left us nearly exhausted and unable to get back to the real world. But we didn't care about getting back. We had lost, for the first time ever, we had failed to save a world."

"Goodness," said a shocked Kairi.

"It can't be…" said a nearly speechless Naminé, while Roxas merely shook his head in denial.

"We're going to lose," said Aiden in a distant tone, "we fail."

"I always knew that we'd eventually fail," said Riku, "in some way or another, but…not like this."

"You were trapped in the primal darkness?" Sora asked, "how did you get out?"

"Didn't you hear what future you just said?" Aiden asked, "it doesn't matter how he got out of the Möbius Continuum. We're going to freaking lose!"

"No we're not!" said Sora in a defiant tone, "if we were, then I would have gone back in time to warn ourselves so we don't lose this time around."

"Exactly," said the other Sora. He then gasped in pain again and doubled over as his body began fading out of existence again.

"Can't we do anything to help?" Hay Lin asked.

"That's what we're trying to do," said Kairi as she ran over and began pouring healing magic into the other Sora, while Donald and the original Sora used Heal spells. This alleviated the other Sora's pain, but his body was still slightly transparent.

"I'm almost out of time," said the other Sora, "I'd better finish. There we were, trapped in the primal darkness, feeling very sorry for ourselves and waiting for our bodies energies to run out.

"But then Kairi had this really great idea. If the Möbius Continuum could be used to traverse space, why not time? It didn't take us long to figure out how to open a door to the past. We could go back in time and warn ourselves.

"But there was still the problem of us. None of us had enough energy to survive back in the real world. The second we left the primal darkness, we'd fade out of existence forever.

"That's when Riku offered to give me the last of his energy so that I could go back. Kairi, Aiden, Roxas, Naminé, Donald and Goofy all offered the last of themselves so I could complete the mission. I didn't want them to sacrifice themselves, but they insisted. They all said that I would have the best chance of convincing our past selves that I was telling the truth.

"Everyone then gave me their last bit of power. I can't tell you how horrible it was to see my friends fade out and disappear, but it happened. I was alone in the darkness, but I still had hope that I could save everyone. I then found the right door to the past, opened it, and the rest is history."

"Well your mission was a success," said Sora, "we completely believe you."

"Now that we know where things go wrong for us," said Riku, "we can change the future for the better."

"Thank goodness," said the other Sora as he sighed with relief. His body then turned even more transparent.

"Wait!" said Sora franticly, "you can't go!"

"We can save you," said Kairi as she pulled out several Mega Potions.

"It's too late for me," said the other Sora. By now his body was almost completely gone, "I'm finished, but you're not. You're all going to be okay now, and that's all that matters." He smiled as his body finished fading out of existence. But as he faded for the last time, the other Sora had one last thing to say, "be careful around that Whampyri, he's as dangerous as all the Villains we've fought before put together!" And with that he was gone.

There was a moment of stunned silence as everyone tried to piece together what just happened.

It was Irma who broke the silence, "that was freaking weird."

"Gee, it must be 'Obvious Day' at 'Camp Stupid,'" said Cornelia.

"I still can't believe that we're going to lose," said Aiden.

"We're not going to lose," said Sora stubbornly, "we're still going to win this."

"And what if we do lose?" Caleb asked, "what if even knowing the future still can't change it? What if we still all die and the whole world dies with us?"

"Well," said Sora, "then I'll just have to go back in time again. The other me said that Kairi figures out how to us the Möbius Continuum for time travel."

"I'm sure I can figure it out again if I have to," said Kairi, "wait, I mean I'll figure it out for the first time…I…great, now I'm confused."

"Let's just focus on getting things right this time around," said Will, "first of all, we now know how to destroy that big Heartless, that Chimeracon. Second, we need to find another safe place to get everyone to. That other Sora said that the enemy is going to find this camp soon and launch an attack."

"I think I may know of a place," said Tess, "about 8 months ago, when I was still on my killing spree, I fell off of a wet roof and broke my arm. And being that it was raining, even being invisible, I could still be seen by my outline in the water. The area of the city was crawling with soldiers so I had to hide. I took refuge in an abandoned shack, but it was only a matter of time before I would be found.

"I then found by pure chance a trapdoor that lead to some sort of underground chamber, and what a chamber it was. It looked big enough to hold thousands of people, like it was a meeting hall or something."

"You must have found another part of the Infinite City," said Caleb, "there are still parts of that place that haven't been explored yet by neither us or the enemy."

"Well the enemy didn't find it," said Tess, "and no one else did. I waited in that chamber until things calmed down outside, which happened to be a week or so. I had some emergency supplies with me so I was alright on food and water, but my arm wasn't healing right, and I wasn't feeling completely healthy either.

"I got out of the city, went to a healer that I knew was safe as soon as I could and found out that my arm had to be broken again so it could heal right. To make matters worse, I had gotten sick enough to be bedridden for three months. Once I was well I spent the next five months getting back into shape.

"I went back to Meridian and found out that The Guardians were there and that Elyon was there as well. Of course, being absent for eight months had caused the enemy guards to become careless, as if they had forgotten about me, or maybe they thought I was dead.

"Either way, I got back to work and soon the guards knew that The Razor was back. This was around the time The Heartless started showing up, which made things a lot harder for me. Last week was the worst as I wound up being cornered by a lot of those things."

"That's when we saved you," said Hay Lin.

"Which I am eternally grateful for," said Tess, "being saved by The Guardians allowed me the chance to realize that my life does have value and that I can make something of myself, other than a coldhearted killer," she looked at Riku with grateful eyes, "you helped me realize the value of my heart, thank you."

"Any time," said a smiling Riku.

"Can you find this underground chamber again?" Will asked, "I can use the double portals to get everyone there."

"Absolutely," said Tess.

"I'll start the evacuation going," said Caleb, "my men won't like it, moving camps again so soon, but there's no choice."

"We'll get ready for the attack," said Riku, wile Aiden, Donald, Goofy, Roxas and Ranma nodded in agreement, "if the Hakonians are coming, I want to give them a welcome they'll never forget."

"In the meantime we should go back to my place," said Hay Lin, "we're going to need the Book of Secrets if we're going to save Elyon."

"That's another thing," said Will, "the other Sora said that we do convince Elyon of the truth, but we still lose. I wonder if we change the plan somewhat, can we change the future enough so we don't die. I think we need to forget about taking the book to Elyon; we need to get Elyon to the book. We need to get her out of the castle."

"In other words," said Sora, "away from Phobos."

"As far away as we can," said Will.

"How are you going to do that?" Cornelia asked, "the only think I can think of is outright kidnapping."

"We may have to do that," said Will, "but first thing's first. Hay Lin, let's go back to your place and get the book." She held up The Heart of Kandracar and opened a portal.

"I want to go along," said Sora, "you said that your grandmother was a Guardian, Hay Lin. Maybe she knows something about Wamphyri."

"That's a good idea," said Kairi, "I'd like to go as well."

"I don't know if she knows anything about vampires," said Hay Lin, "but it couldn't hurt to ask."

"Then let's go ask her," said Kairi. With that she, Sora, Hay Lin and Will stepped into the portal. On the other side was a typical basement found in any home in the world. But this basement had all sorts of dry goods associated with a Chinese-themed restaurant.

"I know where the book is!" said Will.

"And I'll go get my grandma!" said Hay Lin. The two girls then ran upstairs.

"Are you okay, Kairi?" Sora asked.

Kairi sighed, "Well, aside from being told that my friends and I are going to die in a few hours, I'm doing quite well. How about you, Sora?"

"I just saw myself fade out of existence," said Sora in a slightly unsteady tone, "and it'll happen again if we don't do things right this time around. I'm surprised I haven't lost my mind by now."

"I'm surprised any of us are still sane after everything that's happened," said Kairi.

"Yeah," said Sora, "you know, it's times like this when I'm hopping around time and space with my friends, battling the darkness, never knowing if I'll live to see tomorrow or not, all the while worrying about what to get for your birthday, that I really wish I'd listen to what my dad tried to tell me when I was little."

"Why?" Kairi asked, "what'd he say?"

"I don't know," said Sora, "I didn't listen."

Just then Will came down the stairs with a large, leather-bound book in her arms. The book was secured with a leather strap and an elaborately crafted metal lock.

"That's the Book of Secrets?" Kairi asked.

"You'd better believe it," said Will, "it took us forever to try and get it open. But that was before we got The Seal of Phobos."

"What's that?" Sora asked.

"It's like the opposite of The Heart of Kandracar," said Will, "it's a magical item that can open portals. When my friends and I first got our powers, the crystal could only close portals, but when we got The Seal, it got absorbed into The Heart, so now we can do both. The Seal can also open just about any lock, including a book secured by magic."

"That's how we learned about Phobos' evil plans for Elyon," said Hay Lin as she came down the stairs. With her was a elderly Asian woman, apparently in her early to mid 60's. She had graying black hair and wore a green and blue robe.

"Guys," said Hay Lin, "this is my grandma, Yan Lin, former Air Guardian, and the best cook in Heatherfiend. Granma this is…"

"Sora and Kairi," said a smiling Yan Lin. She walked over to our heroes and shook their hands, "It's been so long since I last saw you and the others. How are Riku and Aiden?"

"Uh…they're fine," said a confused Sora.

"And how are Donald and Goofy?" Yan Lin asked, "are those two still as funny as ever?"

"I…guess so," said a confused Kairi, "how do you know us?"

"Of course I know you," said Yan Lin, "we met long ago. You must have traveled in time again, so you're naturally confused. So, how are the others?" she then looked like she had made a serious mistake, "oh, wait, have you met Renesmee yet?"

"Who's Renesmee?" Sora asked, "and who are these others? Are you talking about Ranma?"

"I didn't meet Ranma back then," said Yan Lin gravely, "you all told us about Ranma, but no, we didn't meet him. I've said too much already."

"What are you talking about, Grandma?" a confused Hay Lin asked.

"I think I may know," said Will, "I could be wrong, but, I think that Yan Lin met Sora and the others back when she was a Guardian, and they're going to meet her much later."

"You mean we'll meet Yan Lin in her past," said Kairi, "but in our future. Of course, Wibbly-Wobbly Timey-Wimey."

"Exactly," said Will.

"It's true," said Yan Lin, "when I was much younger, my friends and I, the Guardians before my granddaughter and her friends, we too fought our share of evils. One evil was so great that we had help from the future in order to defeat it. But I won't say anything else about the past, it may damage the future."

"Uh…no," said Sora, "I'm not going to ask about that. Any more messing with time and my head will explode. Let's just talk about what needs to be talked about."

"Grandma," said Hay Lin, "when you were a Guardian, did you ever have to fight a Wamphyri?"

"A Wamphyri?" Yan Lin asked. She thought about it, "no, I can't say that I did fight one. But I've heard a lot about those horrible creatures. Why do you ask?"

"We've got a very good reason to think that Phobos has one locked up in the dungeons," said Will, "and that if he's backed into a corner, Phobos will use that Wamphyri. We're really going into this blind, Mrs. Lyn. From what we know, one Wamphyri could kill the five of us without breaking a sweat, that is…do vampires sweat?"

"Not Vampires, but Wamphyri aren't exactly Vampires themselves," said Yan Lin, "there are many types of creatures that shun the sun and sustain on blood. Some vampires are unharmed by sunlight but avoid it because sunlight reacts with their skin in a dazzling and highly noticeable way. These vampires can survive on animal blood and can be very good people.

"But the Wamphyri are something else, something much darker and much, much more dangerous. A Wamphyri is actually a human or an animal that's been infected by a parasite that turns the host into a monster out of your worst nightmare. The parasite completely merges with the host and grants the host incredible powers; superior strength and speed, heightened senses, shape shifting powers, that's where the legends about vampires turning into wolves and bats come from.

"Their shape shifting abilities also allow them to increase the total mass of their bodies; extra limbs or pseudo-limbs. This pseudo-flesh can grow extra eyes and be used to search for prey.

"Wamphyri are highly sensitive to sunlight. It can't kill them at first, but they will burn to ashes if left out in the daylight for too long. If you can tie down a Wamphyri and expose it to sunlight, eventually it will die.

"They're also highly allergic to garlic, but that can only slow it down. A wooden stake or iron shaft through the heart can paralyze it long enough to use silver, for silver most effective in inflicting damage. Silver chains are the only bindings that can hold the creatures and a silver-plated sword can remove the head with a near perfect guarantee. But fire is the most effective means to destroy both the vampyric host and the parasite that is the true Wamphyri.

"Three things to remember; The Stake to immobilize, The Sword to reveal the parasitical leach within, and The Flame to destroy both monsters."

"This is all good stuff, Mrs. Lyn," said Kairi, "okay, if we see this Wamphyri, we can destroy it."

"There's more to know," said Yan Lin, "the bite of the Wamphyri is highly infectious. One bite, one scratch, and the essence of the monster will pass into you and you will become an undead abomination as well. Also, the pseudo-flesh can be used not only to also drain blood from the creature's victims, but also life energy."

"We know about that," said Will. She shuddered at the memory of what the other Sora told of her fate and the fates of her friends.

"Well the pseudo-tentacles can also carry the infection," said Yan Lin, "if you are going to fight a Wamphyri, then make sure you don't let it touch you at all and I mean it. A single scratch can pass the infection, but also any of the creature's fluids; saliva or blood or…well, you're not going to get close enough to it in order for it to do 'that' to you. And whatever you do, don't let it get into your mind. Wamphyri are notorious for having all sorts of weird powers, but some of them can use psychic attacks."

"We were warned about that as well," said Kairi, "okay, I think we've got it straight now; impalement, decapitation and incineration."

"And don't let it bite or touch you," said Sora, "we got it now."

"We've got to go back now, Grandma," said Hay Lin, "things are really starting to get crazy on the other side."

"Crazier than normal?" Yan Lin asked.

"Things haven't been normal for any of us in a while," said Will as she held out the Heart of Kandracar and opened a portal back to Metamore.

"Tell the others I wish them all the luck in the world," said Yan Lin.

"We'll do that, Grandma," said Hay Lin. She and Yan Lin hugged deeply, "I'm not ashamed to say it, Grandma, I'm scared."

"I'm scared to, my little Hay Lin," said Yan Lin, "who wouldn't be? Heartless, Wamphyri and Hakonians all in one package? You'd have to be some kind of nutcase not to be afraid."

"How'd you know about the Hakonians?" Kairi asked, "oh wait, we're going to tell you in our future."

"You'll tell me a lot," said Yan Lin, "the next time I see you Keyblade Wielders, I'll look a lot younger and I won't know you. But I'll know you in my heart, for with us Guardians, matters of the heart transcend past and future."

"You're right about that," said Sora, "after all, Wibbly-Wobbly…"

"…Timey-Wimey," siad a smiling Yan Lin, "you told me that as well."

"Let's go before someone's head does explode," said Will.

"Go," said Yan Lin, "I know you'll all win."

"We'll try our best," said Kairi, while Sora and Hay Lin nodded in agreement. With that they and Will entered the portal and emerged back at the rebel camp.

"Any luck?" Riku asked as he ran up to them, "Aiden and the others are preprinting a little welcome present for the baddies."

"Hay Lin's grandmother told us all about Wamphyri," said Sora, "what they are and how to destroy them."

"And we got a lot else," said a slightly exasperated Kairi, "way more than we asked for. We'll tell you all about it when the others get back."

Just then Caleb ran up, "everyone's getting ready to move camp again.

"Then here's what we're going to do," said Riku, "Tess, you tell me and Kairi about that chamber you found. We'll take Will with us to that chamber via the Möbius Continuum and then Will's going to use the double portals to get everyone to that chamber."

"Sounds like a plan to me," said Will.

"I'm ready when you are," said Tess.

"Wait," said a grinning Aiden, "I just had a brilliant idea for the coming battle."

"What's the idea?" Sora asked.

"I'll tell you all when the battle gets started," said Aiden, "trust me, it's going to be great."

* * *

"There they are," said Rakel as she used a crystal ball to search the countryside, "I've found the rebels. And as luck would have it, I've also found the rest of the vermin."

"The Guardians and the Keyblade Wielders," said Phobos, "all of them in one place."

"And ripe for the slaughter," said Cedric. He then morphed into his serpentine form. "I am in the mood for sssome bloodletting."

"Nice," said an impressed Pantyhose Taro, "But I've got one better. Anyone got a glass of cold water?"

"You!" Phobos snapped at a nearby servant, "fetch him some cold water! Now!"

"And some hot water while you're at it!" said Pantyhose Taro. The servant quickly brought two goblets, one filled with cold water, the other with hot water.

"Check this action out," said Pantyhose Taro as he took the goblet filled with cold water. He splashed himself and before everyone's eyes, turned into his chimerical form.

"Impressssive," said Cedric.

"Wait till you see what we can do," said Reddik, while Konrad and Erika nodded in agreement. Erika then splashed Pantyhose Taro with the hot water, turning him back into a human.

"I know of your abilities already," said Nikolai, "but, yes, the point has been made. Our enemies are doomed."

"Then prepare to attack," said Phobos, "I want this issue to be finished once and for all!"

* * *

"How's the evacuation going?" Kairi asked.

"Not as fast as I'd like it," said Caleb as our heroes watched the rebels enter the portal Will opened. On the other side of this portal was the riverbank at Heatherfield. Next to that portal was another one that opened into the chamber that Tess found.

"There's a lot more of us than there were when we evacuated the Infinite City," said Cedric, "and more equipment that we can't leave behind."

"Well we'd better get things going faster soon," said Aiden as he, Roxas and several rebels who volunteered to stay behind while the rest of the rebels went through the portals first.

"The enemy attack could come at any time," said Roxas.

"Well bring them on," said Aiden, "I'm ready for them all."

Just then several Dark Corridors opened up about a hundred yards from the edge of the camp. From those emerged dozens, then hundreds, then thousands of Heartless and Nobodies and enemy soldiers. From the Dark Corridor in the middle emerged Reddik, Rakel, Erika, Konrad, Nikolai, Pantyhose Taro and Cedric.

"You just had to provoke them," said Irma to Aiden.

"Looks like the gang is all here," said Sora as he and the others summoned their Keyblades.

"Let's make sure nobody gets hurt," said Will as she held up The Heart of Kandracar.

"Except for the baddies," Hay Lin pointed out.

"Right," said Will, "except the baddies. Guardians Unite!"

"We need to hold them until all the rebels are safe," said Aiden, "otherwise my 'surprise' will get them and us as well."

"What's your surprise?" Roxas asked.

"You'll find out soon," said Aiden.

"It appears that they are expecting us," said Rakel.

"Could they have scrying abilities?" Konrad asked, "no, it's impossible that those peasants would have that power."

"It doesn't matter," said Pantyhose Taro, "I'll still crush Saotome!" He glared at Ranma, "Hey! Transvestite! I'm going to mess you up big time!"

"Like that's going to happen," said Ranma, "and why are you with these creeps, Nylon Freak?"

"We've offered him the chance to make his greatest wish come true," said Erika, "after we destroy the Keyblade Brats, and the Guardian Brats as well, we're going to drag your sorry ass to Maleficent. She's got her eye on you, Child of Chaos."

"Why does Maleficent want Ranma?" Kairi asked.

"None of your business," said an irate Rakel, "you brats are done for this time!"

"Enough talk!" hissed Cedric, "we ssshould attack now!"

"Nice friends you've got, Cedric!" said Will, "isn't Phobos enough anymore?"

"This banter is useless!" said Nokolai. He glared at our heroes, "Keyblade Wielders! Guardians! I am Nikolai Shadowstalker, the most powerful dark magic user in the Hakonian race!"

"And the biggest ego," muttered Erika.

"Long have I studied your exploits, Keyblade Wielders," said Nikolai, "so now I shall have the honor and privilege of destroying you, all for the glory of the mistress of all evil, Maleficent!"

"I'll say it again," Rakel whispered to Reddik, "Nikolai's no ally of ours."

"We'll take care of him when the time comes for us to make our escape," said Reddik.

"We need more time," said Caleb to Sora, "my men are moving as fast as they can, but we need a few more minutes."

"Leave it to me," said Sora. He then addressed the assembled baddies, "I got just one question for you, especially you, Cedric. Why does Phobos have a Wamphyri in the dungeons?"

"How did you know that!" exclaimed Cedric.

"You've got a Wamphyri in the dungeons!" exclaimed Konrad, Erika, Rakel and Reddik.

"That should buy is some time," Sora said to Caleb, "tell you people that this is their chance." Caleb nodded and ran to help finish the evacuation.

"Don't you know how dangerous Wamphyri are?" exclaimed Reddik, "one alone is capable of wiping out an army, while also creating an army of undead minions that are as equally devastating."

"The creature in the dungeon was there long before Phobos found it," said Nikolai, "he used the creature to obtain knowledge in the dark arts, especially on how to drain magic and life energy."

"So that's how Phobos did what he did!" said Taranee, "I've been wondering how he's been sucking the magic out of the world. I know it's dark magic, but he's using vampire lore."

"What difference does it make!" Pantyhose Taro asked, "let's just destroy them now and ask questions later!"

"I agree," said Reddik, "no more talk! The time for action is now!"

"I was afraid you'd say that," said Aiden as he hefted his Keyblade, "I had a special present prepared for you jerks, and had it made all around the rebel camp. I hoped to wait until the rebels had finished evacuating, but now's as good a time as any."

"I've got the feeling that we're going to need some shield spells," said Roxas to Sora, "I've got some prepared now."

"Right," said Sora.

"What are you talking about?" Rakel asked Aiden.

"You of all people should know my specialty is Alchemy," said Aiden, "so it really shouldn't surprise you that I transmuted the ground around the camp. Everything on the ground within half a mile out from the camp perimeter, every blade of grass, every rock and pebble, even the trees, has had a new element added to their molecular structure, and added in a way that doesn't destabilize their makeup, until that element is needed."

"And what would that added element be?" Reddik asked cautiously.

"Nitro Glycerin of course!" shouted Aiden. He held up his free hand, "and here's something Roy Mustang, The Flame Alchemist, would be proud of!" he snapped his fingers (insert finger snapping sound) and a large spark was made. That spark touched the ground outside the camp border.

"Wind!" shouted both Sora and Roxas. The combined power of three Keyblades created enough Aero spells to shield everyone from the massive blast that occurred when the spark ignited the Nitro infused in the ground and plant life.

Within seconds the area around the camp was a raging firestorm. Protected by the Aero spells, our heroes witnessed the destruction of nearly every Heartless, Nobody and enemy soldier that had come to destroy them.

Unfortunately none of the Villains were destroyed in the blast. A huge shield projected from Nikolai's staff protected him, Cedric, Pantyhose Taro and the other Hakonians.

"A bold and devastating move, Keyblade Alchemist," said Nikolai as the flames of the blast subsided, "but not good enough."

"You may have wiped out this wave of Heartless and Nobodies," said Reddik, "but there's plenty more where they came from!"

"In the meantime," said Konrad as he drew his rapier, "I do believe we have some personal scores to settle."

"You ain't kidding!" said Riku as he and Konrad glared at each other. Kairi faced Rakel, while Aiden faced Reddik, Sora faced Erika and Ranma faced Pantyhose Taro.

"I guess we'll handle old fang-face," said Cornelia as she and the other Guardians faced Cedric.

"I'd welcome your invitation, Guardiansss," hissed Cedric, "but I do believe an old friend of yoursss wissshesss to play."

High above our heroes appeared a really big Heartless, one that had a 40ft long dragon-like torso with two pairs of wings that easily had a 60ft wingspan. The creature had six legs that ended in razor-sharp talons and two forelegs that ended in scorpion claws. It had a long spiked tail and a head like a vulture with four eyes.

The giant Heartless screeched in rage as it began circling the area. It wasn't long before it saw the rebel camp and began to swoop down to attack.

"Chimericon," said a shocked Will, while Irma, Taranee, Cornelia and Hay Lin looked up with terror-filled eyes.

But then the frightened Guardians recovered their courage. "This time we win!" Will said defiantly, "this time it's personal!"

"Let's kick its butt!" shouted Irma, while Cornelia, Hay Lin and Taranee nodded in agreement. With that the five of them rose into the air and flew towards the giant Heartless.

"Hit it in the back of the neck!" Sora shouted after them. Unfortunately he didn't get to see if Will and the other Guardians heard him, for Erika had shot a stream of dark magic at him. Sora blocked the dark magic with his Keyblade, then retaliated with a Fireball spell.

Erika dodged the spell, then began throwing dark spheres at Sora, who blocked and dodged them. Sora briefly saw Roxas fighting the handful of Heartless and Nobodies still in the area.

Kairi was busy fending off Rakel, who was wielding two large switchblades, while Aiden and Reddik traded blasts of energy; Aiden shooting blasts of Alchemy, while Reddik shot blasts of dark magic.

Riku and Konrad were locked in a serious duel, each of them deadly serious about winning.

"Give it up, peasant!" snapped Konrad as he tried to run Riku through with his rapier, "you cannot beat me!"

"I seem to remember beating you before!" said Riku as he blocked Konrad's thrust, "and you got that scar from that fight!"

"I owe you one of your own!" shouted Konrad as he viciously slashed at Riku, but kept getting blocked.

Just then Cedric lashed out at Riku with his tail, knocking Riku to the ground.

"Hey!" said an outraged Konrad, "I was fighting him. Find your own peasant to fight!"

"Thessse petty rivalriesss are pointlesss!" hissed Cedric, "we are here to dessstroy thessse bratsss! Not exchange worthless wordsss!"

"I agree!" shouted Nikolai. He raised his staff and sent out a pulse of dark magic that knocked Sora, Kairi and Aiden off balance, allowing Erika, Rakel and Reddik to knock them all down.

"There is more at stake here than your personal issues," said Nikolai to his fellow Hakonians, "finish the brats off! Now!"

"You can't tell us what to do!" snapped Erika, "not me anyway! I'm my own person!"

"You have no authority over us, Nikolai!" said Reddik.

"But Maleficent does," said Nikolai, "and in her absence, I have authority. You four are still on Maleficent's probation list. One mistake and you will be back in your own personal hells again."

"No!" said a defiant and slightly terrified Rakel, "you can't put me under the anxieties again! I don't want to spend the rest of my life counting Heartless!"

"And Nobodies now," said Nikolai, "yes, you will be forced to count again, Rakel. And Konrad will have to clean the castle again, while Erika will have to carry her own weight, literally, and Reddik will be forced to endure the agony again."

"So that's what happened to you guys," said Kairi as she, Sora, Riku and Aiden, tried to get back up, "Maleficent punished you for losing to us. I can't help but feel sorry for all of you."

"Who asked your opinion, bitch!" exclaimed Erika as she shot a dark magic blast at Kairi.

But then Goofy got in front of Kairi and deflected the blast away.

Donald then jumped onto Goofy's shoulder and shot a massive Thunder spell at Erika, "Right back at you!"

Erika narrowly avoided the bolt of lightning, only end up getting smashed in the face by Goofy's shield. The impact knocked out two of Erika's teeth and sent her crashing to the ground.

"Gwarsh," said Goofy as he caught his shield, "that's gotta hurt!"

"And here's something else that will hurt," said Aiden. He then transmuted the ground underneath Reddik, Konrad and Rakel into glass. The three Hakonians soon found themselves unable to maintain their balance. Reddik fell on his arm and broke his wrist, while Rakel fractured her ankle and Konrad fell flat onto his face.

"Non-stick surface," said Riku, "nice."

Just then Cedric rushed at our heroes, roaring with rage, "I am not troubled by glassss!" He rushed at Riku, but before everyone's eyes, Riku disappeared.

"What!" exclaimed Cedric as he skidded to a halt, "how did that fool disssapear?"

"I think I know," said Kairi.

Sure enough, Riku reappeared a few yards away. Holding onto his arm was Tess.

"Wow," said Riku, "That was…something."

"Now you know what it's like to be invisible," said Tess.

Just then the two of them were blasted by a curse from Nikolai. Riku and Tess both fell to the ground stunned.

"Finish those two first, Cedric!" shouted Nikolai, "I will deal with the others myself!"

"Sssave one or two," hissed Cedric, "I feel that jussst two bratsss will not sssatisssfy my appitite!"

"No!" Riku said defiantly as he tried to stand up, "I…I won't let you hurt Tess!"

"You're not eating either of us, fang-face!" snapped Tess as she tried to stand up.

"You have no choice!" shouted Cedric as he slithered rapidly towards them, "you are dead!"

But then something happened that made Cedric completely top in his serpentine tracks and roar in pain, and that something turned out to be Blunk, who had jumped onto Cedric's tail and bit the scaly creature.

"You missserable little Passssling!" raged Cedric as trashed about to get Blunk to let go, "I'll crusssh you, you filthy smuggler!" He finally succeeded in dislodging Blunk.

"Wholesaler!" shouted Blunk as he went flying out of sight.

All this allowed both Tess and Riku to get back up. Riku then blasted Cedric in the face with his Dark Aura, completely disorienting the serpentine monster.

But then Riku and Tess had to dodge another stunning curse from Nikolai.

"Impudent fools!" shouted an outraged Nikolai as he sent out more stunning curses in all directions, "I'll destroy you all!"

"Destroy this, punk!" shouted Roxas as he shot a double Fireball spell at Nikolai. The warlock completely canceled the spells before they got close to him. Roxas then tried to blast Nikolai with both Thunder and Blizzard spells, but the warlock canceled the spells as well.

"Is that the best you can do?" Nikolai asked in a taunting manner.

"That's not what your mother said last night!" said Roxas in an equally taunting manner.

At that Nikolai's face twisted with rage, and Roxas realized he had made a serious mistake.

"Don't you say that about my mother!" shouted an outraged Nikolai. He aimed his staff at Roxas and blasted him with black lightning. Roxas deflected the deadly bolts with his Keyblades, but the dark magic of the attack had left him drained of energy.

"Nobody insults my mother and lives," said a highly irate Nikolai as he blasted Roxas again and again with black lightning, "nobody!"

"Well that's just what I am!" said Roxas as he blocked another bolt. The dark magic was still draining his power reserves, but he stood his ground, "I am a Nobody, so I guess I get to live after all, mama's boy!"

"Silence!" shouted Nikolai as he sent a huge bolt of black lightning at Roxas that succeeded in knocking him down.

"You're going to pay for insulting my mother," said Nikolai as he stood over Roxas with his staff raised for the killing strike, "and there's nothing you can do about it!"

"Not me, maybe," said Roxas, who smiled despite his dire predicament, "but I know who can."

Just then Nikolai's expression of rage turned into one of confusion, "what…? What was I doing just now?" he lowered his staff, "come to think of it, where am I?"

"What just happened?" Tess asked as she, Riku and the rest of our heroes recovered from the dark magic attacks.

"I think I know," said a smiling Kairi.

"Nice going, Naminé," said Roxas.

"Any time," said Naminé. All along she had waited for a chance to use her powers on one of the villains. She had just finished drawing Nikolai's portrait.

"You made him forget," said Sora as he and the others looked at the still perplexed Nikolai, "awesome."

"It is cool," said Naminé, "but it won't last for long. I tried to make him forget everything, but he's got some serious mental defenses. The best I could do was confound him."

"So that's what you did, you witch!" spat Rakel as she, Erika, Konrad and Reddik got back up.

"That's right!" said Aiden, "we've beaten everything you creeps threw at us, and we'll beat everything else you got!"

"And it looks like our friends are doing great as well," said Kairi as she looked up and saw The Guardians flying circles around the Chimericon. Thanks to the warning from the other Sora, Will and her friends had managed to successfully hit the giant Heartless several times on the back of the neck and had delivered just about enough damage to finish it off.

But the giant Heartless had a few tricks left to play. Several hundred scales from its dragon body shot out and circled around the creature. The scales had razor edges and began circling around the creature so fast that Will and her friends couldn't get close without getting ripped to pieces.

"I think they need some help," said Riku.

"Then let's help them," said Sora, "we've got plenty of Pixy Dust. One of us can fly up and blast through those scales."

"We won't let you have the chance, brats!" spat Konrad, "you forget, we Hakonians have the power to merge with Heartless!"

"As if I'll ever forget," said Aiden.

"But you'll die because of it," said Sora, "that Ulrik guy died, and Rakel nearly died as well."

At that Konrad grinned viciously, "Which is why I will need some…'fortification,' before I undertake this dangerous move." Before anyone could react, he rushed over to Reddik and Rakel, grabbed them both and began draining them of their power.

"What the hell are you doing!" exclaimed Reddik as he and Rakel tried to break free of Konrad, but his grip was too strong. Before they knew it, Konrad had drained them of nearly all their magic and dark powers, leaving just enough for them to eventually recover later.

"As if I'll risk my life without taking precautions," said Konrad, "I took your powers, Rakel, in payment for what you did to me on _The Death Stalker_. And yours, Reddik, for stealing Rakel from me all those years ago."

His body already pulsing with the additional massive amounts of dark power, Konrad then turned on Erika, grabbed her and took her powers as well, "and you, Erika, because I don't like you!" He finished taking her power and left her to slump on the ground.

"You bastard!" snapped an exhausted Erika, "you damned bastard! I'll kill you for this!"

"Put it on my tab," said Konrad and the dark aura surrounding his body increased in magnitude. His powers quadrupled with stolen energy, Konrad shot into the air, past Will and her friends, through the whirling scale blades without a scratch, and landed in the back of the Chimericon.

"Prepare to face your doom, lowly fools!" shouted Konrad as he merged with the giant Heartless. The creature's size doubled, while four more wings grew out of the back. The spiked tail split into two, while another pair of scorpion claws grew from the first pair. Four more clawed dragon limbs crew while all of the limbs elongated and sprouted spikes.

But the most dramatic and grotesque change occurred with two more heads grew out from the body. Both new heads had four eyes, while the one on the left was like a jackal and the one on the right was like a shark.

Konrad's voice then emanated from the mutated creature, "Witness the power of the Hakonians!"

The vulture head then shot a blast of dark wind at The Guardians, while the jackal head shot a stream of dark fire and the shark shot a bolt of dark lighting. It was all Will and her friends could do to avoid the triple blasts.

"Okay, now they need our help," said Aiden, "who's got the Pixy Dust?"

"I got it!" said Sora as he sprinkled some on him, Goofy, Donald, Riku, Kairi and Aiden. Sora, Donald and Goofy easily rose into the air.

"How does this work again?" Aiden asked.

"Just think happy thoughts!" said Sora. He, Donald and goofy flew towards the mutated Chimericon. Sora threw a Strike Raid at the creature, cutting off one of it's elongated limbs.

"Meddling brat!" spat Konrad. The mutated Chimericon sent out a triple blast of dark fire from its three heads at Sora, but he flew out of the way. Donald retaliated by blasting one of the jackal's eyes out with a Thunder Spell, while Goofy crushed another elongated limb with his shield.

"Nice of you to join us!" said Will as she blasted one of the shark's eyes out.

"We were winning," said an irate Hay Lin as she sent a whirlwind at the creature to knock it off balance, "but then that jerk merged with the thing and now we're right back where we started from.

"Just goes to show that nothing ever really goes according to plan," said Taranee as she and Irma shout a double helix attack of fire and water at the creature's wings, burning one and breaking another.

"Filthy peasants!" spat Konrad. The three heads then shot spheres of purple liquid that exploded several yards out, expanding into clouds of poison gas.

"You're the sick one, my friend," said Irma as she flew out of the way of one of the poison gas clouds, "and I bathe all the time, thank you very much."

"She spends hours at a time in the tub," said Hay Lin as she used her powers to blow one of the poison gas clouds away.

"You'd think Irma would be a living prune by now," said Cornelia.

Sora and Donald blew several more poison gas clouds away with Aero spells, but one cloud was about to close in on Taranee.

But then a bolt of alchemic energy shot up and transmuted the poison into harmless oxygen.

"Way to go, Aiden!" said Sora as Aiden, Riku and Kairi rose up and hovered next to him.

"It was easy," said Aiden, "just as easy as finding my happy thoughts. When you've got fiends, you're never sad."

"Getting home is my happy thought," said Riku.

"Our first kiss," said Kairi as she winked at Sora. At that he blushed.

"Uh, people?" said Taranee, "we've still got to fight this thing!"

"It is useless to persist!" exclaimed Konrad as the mutated Chimericon began shooting bolts of dark magic from it's mouths, eyes, claws and tails. It was all our heroes could do to avoid getting blasted.

"We've got to hit it in the back of the necks!" shouted Sora.

"How do you know if it still has the same weakness!" Cornelia shouted.

"I have no weakness!" exclaimed Konrad, "I am the ultimate in Heartless/Hakonian fusion! I am invincible!"

Just then the three heads roared in agony. To the amazed eyes of our heroes and allies, the last five feet of one of the spiked tails fell to the ground

Tess then appeared behind the mutated Chimericon, flying, with her razor out. "If you're invincible, how come I just amputated your tail?"

"How'd you get up here?" a amazed Riku asked as Tess flew over.

"Your friend dropped some of that magic dust on the ground when he hit you and the others with it," said Tess, "you really ought to be careful with that stuff."

"Oh right," said Sora.

"What's your happy thought?" Kairi asked.

But before Tess could answer, the mutated Chimericon rushed at our heroes. Riku pulled Tess out of the way, then countered by throwing his Keyblade at the back of the jackal head, cutting it off.

Goofy threw his shield at the shark head. Sora and Donald both cast Thunder spells on the shield, electrifying it as it hit the back of the shark neck, cutting it off.

"We'll finish it together!" said Will, while Sora and Kairi nodded in agreement.

"I'll finish you!" shouted Konrad. The vulture head reared back for a massive dark magic blast, but then Sora and Kairi both threw Strike Raids at the exposed neck, damaging it.

Will then flew behind the head and delivered a massive blast that completely blew the head away. The decapitated Chimericon fell to the ground and completely shattered into countless pieces that soon dissolved into black smoke.

Our heroes landed just in time to see a large crystal heart rise up from the black smoke and vanish into the air.

"And that's that," said Will.

"I feel a lot better," said Taranee.

"Same here," said Cornelia, while Irma and Hay Lin nodded in agreement.

Just then our heroes saw something emerge from the dissipating black smoke, something that turned out to be Konrad, who looked like was about to keel over. His skin had turned ash gray and cracks were beginning to form on his face and arms.

"This cannot be!" exclaimed Konrad as he limped towards our heroes, still wanting to fight, "I…I cannot be defeated! I am of the Hakonian elite! I cannot be defeated!"

"Sorry to point out the obvious, pal," said Irma, "but you look like you're already dead."

"I hate zombies!" said a disgusted Taranee, while Hay Lin and Cornelia nodded in grim agreement.

"As long…as there's breath…in my body…" said Konrad as small flakes of petrifying flesh began to fall off of him, "I will…hate you all!" the then collapsed to the ground, causing more and more of his body to fall off.

"You're finished, Konrad," said Riku, "just like Ulrik."

"No!" exclaimed Konrad as his body began to completely fall apart, "I am not like Ulrik! I cannot die! I am Konrad Soulreaver!" his body collapsed onto itself and fell into dust, which blew away with the wind.

"That makes two Hakonians down," said Kairi.

"And four more to go," said Sora. He and the others looked at the still exhausted Rakel, Reddik and Erika, and the still perplexed Nikolai.

Jus then Sora and the others saw that Ranma and Pantyhose Taro were still fighting. The two martial artists seemed to be evenly matched as they exchanged blows, but our heroes knew, from Ranma's descriptions of Pantyhose Taro, that the dark martial artist was only waiting for the right moment to pull a dirty trick that would give him the upper hand.

Just then Caleb ran up, "everyone else is thought he portal, even Blunk."

"Well, you can't get everything you want," said Irma.

"If we're going to go, we should go now before Reddik and the others recover," said Riku, "and before they summon more Heartless and Nobodies."

"But what about Ranma?" Taranee asked, "I don't think he'd appreciate our breaking up his fight."

"Well he's just going to have to suffer," said Tess as she picked up a rock and threw it at Pantyhose Taro. The throw was timed just right so it hit the dark martial artist on the back of the head, distracting him enough for Ranma to get in a devastating punch that left Pantyhose Taro on the ground.

"We got to go, Ranma!" shouted Sora.

Ranma looked at the downed Pantyhose Taro, then looked back at our heroes and nodded in acknowledgement. He looked back at the dark martial artist, "we'll finish this later." With that he ran over to our heroes.

"We're not done, yet, Saotome!" spat Pantyhose Taro as he tried to get back up.

But by then our heroes were all back inside the now abandoned camp and had reached the portal. They went through, arriving in Heatherfield. Will closed that portal, then everyone went through the second portal back to Metamore. They arrived in the large underground chamber that Tess had found months earlier. All the Rebels were safely accounted for.

"Do any of you guys know how to block magical tracking?" Will asked as she closed the portal.

"So the enemy can't find us again," said Sora, "um, no, I don't know how to do that yet."

"I'm on it," said Donald as he began casting anti-spying wards on the chamber.

* * *

"That stupid bastard, Konrad!" snapped Erika as she, Reddik and Rakel recovered their energy, while Nikolai regained his senses, "that idiot! He deserved what he got, the stupid bastard!"

"I'm more concerned of what we'll get when Maleficent hears that we failed again," said Reddik.

"You mean you failed," said an irate Nikolai, "I had everything under control until you imbeciles showed up! This fiasco is your responsibility, not mine!"

"Oh shut up," said an annoyed Rakel, "I've had enough. I'm done with this whole mess. I'm done with The Heartless, I'm done with the Keyblade brats, I'm so done with Maleficent, and I'm especially done with you, Nikolai!"

"Same with me," said Reddik, "we're both done." he glared at Nikolai, "you want to destroy the brats so much, you're welcome to do it. Rakel and I are leaving, now."

"What?" exclaimed Nikolai, "you cannot abandon the cause! You cannot abandon Maleficent! When she hears of this treason…"

"That's your problem," said Rakel, "not ours, not any more."

"We were planning on leaving for a long time now," said Erika, "us and Konrad. We've realized that teaming up with Maleficent was a big mistake for us. You and Katarina can play slaves to Maleficent all you want. We're leaving."

"No, Erika," Reddik, "we're leaving, not you."

"What are you talking about?" Erika demanded, "of course we're all leaving. We planned it together."

"We did," said Rakel as she and Reddik closed in on Erika, "but then, plans do have a way of changing."

Before Erika could react, Reddik and Rakel grabbed her and started sucking the energy out of her. "What are you doing?" Erika screamed as her body weakened again, "we had an agreement!"

"Well we're backing out of that agreement," said Reddik, "Rakel and I need all the energy we can get if we're going to run from Maleficent. If Konrad hadn't stabbed us in the back, then we wouldn't have to stab you in the back like this."

"But don't feel sorry for yourself," said Rakel, "Reddik and I were going to leave you and Konrad behind anyway. You know what they say, three is a crowd. I don't know what four makes, but Reddik and I will be fine just by ourselves."

By then they had taken all of Erika's energy. They released her to fall to the ground, her skin having turned ash gray and had begun to crack and flake away.

"You bastards!" spat Erika as he body began to crumble into dust, "you'll pay for this! I may be dead, but someday, someday, you'll pay for this! Go ahead and run for your lives, 'cause if I know Maleficent, when she hears of this, she'll chase you across time and space to make you suffer!"

"We'll worry about that when the time comes," said Reddik. His body fortified by stolen energy, he opened a Dark Corridor, "let's go, Rakel, before Maleficent sends her dogs after us."

"Goodbye, Erika," said Rakel, "it's been a pleasure."

"Bitch!" spat Erika, "I hope you and your bastard boyfriend never have a moment of peace!" with that her body collapsed into dust, which blew away with the wind.

"And that's that," said Rakel. She and Reddik started towards the Dark Corridor

"Wait!" shouted Nikolai, "you can't leave! Maleficent will hunt you down!"

"We just said that we'd worry about that later," said Rakel, "you want to try and stop us?"

"I think he has other things to worry about," said Reddik, "like how he's going to explain this mess to Maleficent."

"Of course," said Rakel, "goodbye, Nikolai." With that she and Reddik entered the Dark Corridor which closed up after them.

Nikolai stood there, dumbfounded.

By then Cedric recovered and had reverted back to his human form, while Pantyhose Taro recovered as well.

"Now what?" Pantyhose Taro asked, "those bastards abandoned us, while the other bastards got away."

"Prince Phobos won't be please to hear of this fiasco," said Cedric as he brushed some dirt off of his robe.

"Neither will Maleficent," said Nikolai as he struggled to compose himself, "but this wasn't a complete disaster. There is still time to salvage the situation."

"How?" Pantyhose Taro asked.

Just then Nikolai smiled as a vile idea grew in his mind, "it all depends on how much Phobos wants to keep his Wamphyri pet locked up, verses how much he wants to defeat his enemies."

* * *

"Okay," said Sora as everyone sat down in one part of the huge chamber for a meeting, "all the rebels are safe and are settling in."

"Donald just finished setting up the anti-spying wards," said Kairi, "Phobos and the Hakonians won't be able to find us."

"And we've still got until tomorrow afternoon to figure out how to save Elyon without getting everyone killed," said Will.

"And we still have the Book of Secrets," said Hay Lin as she held said book.

"You said you had an idea, Aiden," said Riku, "so, what is it?"

"Well," said Aiden, "future Sora said that we took the book to Elyon and convinced her of the truth. But then everything goes wrong after that. I still think that Elyon needs to see the book, but instead of taking the book to her, we bring her to the book."

"And how are we going to do that?" Cornelia asked, "kidnap her?"

"That's exactly my plan," said a grinning Aiden, "we kidnap Elyon."

**The end of chapter 7.**

Next chapter, our heroes do just what Aiden just said. Reviews will be rewarded with cake and pie. See you next time!


	8. Chapter 8: The Truth Revealed

Last time found our heroes listening to a tale of a future gone wrong told by another Sora. The other Sora told everyone that things go from bad to worse as they try to rescue Elyon and defeat Phobos, resulting in Metamore being destroyed and Sora and the others being trapped in the Möbius Continuum. But they figured out how to use the primal darkness to go back in time. The other Sora vanished from extreme energy exhaustion, his last words warning present Sora and the others about the Wamphyri locked in Phobos' dungeons.

Our heroes decided to start changing the future by changing their overall plans. First of all, the rebels change their camps by moving to a secret underground chamber that Tess found a while back. Sora and Kairi went with Will and Hay Lin to Heatherfield to learn about Wamphyri from Yan Lin, Hay Lin's grandmother. As it turns out, Yan Lin knew Sora. As crazy as it sounds, at some point in our heroes future, they go back in time and meet the previous generation of Guardians.

Our heroes also fought differently when Cedric, Nikolai, Reddik, Rakel, Erika and Konrad showed up with an army of Heartless and Nobodies, as well as the big Heartless that defeated The Guardians before, the Chimericon.

Fortunately things turned out differently, all thanks to some planning from Aiden. To make a long story short, Konrad betrayed Reddik, Rakel and Erika by stealing their energy. He then merged with the Chimericon, but Sora and the others used some Pixy Dust to help Will and her friends destroy the horrible creature. Konrad died as a result.

Realizing that it was now or never, Reddik and Rakel stole Erika's energy and killed her in the process, then ran for their lives, leaving Nikolai and Cedric to deliver the bad news to their superiors.

At the new underground rebel camp, Aiden announced his plan to save Elyon. 'Nuff said, on with the show!

**Chapter 8: The Truth Revealed**

"You said you had an idea, Aiden," said Riku, "so, what is it?"

"Well," said Aiden, "future Sora said that we took the book to Elyon and convinced her of the truth. But then everything goes wrong after that. I still think that Elyon needs to see the book, but instead of taking the book to her, we bring her to the book."

"And how are we going to do that?" Cornelia asked, "kidnap her?"

"That's exactly my plan," said a grinning Aiden, "we kidnap Elyon."

"And how do you expect us to kidnap Elyon?" Irma asked, "walk up to the front door and ask her to come with us?"

"She might just do that if we ask nicely," said Hay Lin, "but that's just wishful thinking."

"I've got something better than that," said Aiden, "Tess, you've been inside the castle a lot, right?"

"Enough times to memorize most of the inner layout," said Tess, "and know the pattern of the guards. I told you earlier that I could have ended this whole mess by killing Phobos, if I were in better control of my emotions. However, considering what's going on now, I can get us past the guards and lead us to Elyon's room."

"We can use the Mobius Continuum to jump into the castle," said Sora, "find and grab Elyon and jump out."

"Exactly," said Aiden, "well get her away from Phobos and convince her of the truth."

"I'm not so sure of this," said Will, "I mean, we know that The Book of Secrets is going to convince Elyon of the truth when we show it to her, the other Sora said so."

"But that's what's going to happen if we take the book to her," said Taranee, "if we do something like kidnapping her first, knowing the way Elyon's mind has been messed up by Phobos' lies…"

"Then she'll hate us even more," said a grave sounding Cornelia, "and she doesn't like us very much even now."

"Phobos has filled her head with so may lies," said Hay Lin, "He's got Elyon believing that everything that's gone wrong with the world is our fault, that we're the bad guys."

"Well if that's the case," said Roxas, "then abducting her will only strengthen the lies and make us look even more like Villains."

"My powers can break those lies," said Naminé, "and allow her to listen the truth instead of blocking it out. But sometimes when someone is convinced that a lie is the truth, that person may fight to protect what he or she things is the truth, even if the real truth is right in front of them. They only see what they lie makes them see."

"And if Elyon is provoked enough," said Will solemnly, "if we try too hard to break through those lies she believes in so much, then she could destroy us all."

"Oh," said a sheepish sounding Aiden, "I didn't think of that."

"How are we going to do this?" Sora asked, "we're changing the future, but a lot of things can still go wrong."

Tess then looked at Naminé, "can your magic be used to block another person from using their magic?"

"I guess so," said Naminé, "I could make Elyon forget how to use her powers, for a while that is. It all depends on how strong her mental defenses are."

"If you can keep her from destroying us for a few minutes," said Tess, "then we can definitely prove to Elyon that her brother is evil."

"We'll show her the books," said Hay Lin, "hearing Phobos in his own words would convince her that he's rotten to the core."

"And we've got a lot more testimony against Phobos," said Caleb, "every rebel has a story about the atrocities Phobos committed. There's no way she'll think we're all lying."

"And I have the most damning testimony of all," said Tess, "me. If Elyon sees what was done to me, hear how her brother gave the order that killed my father and ruined my life, if she still thinks that Phobos is a good person after all of that, then nothing will convince her of the truth."

"We'll worry about that later," said Kairi, "right now we should just focus on getting Elyon. Then we'll worry about convincing her of the truth."

"One step at a time," said Sora.

"I couldn't agree more," said Will.

"Then what are we waiting for?" Riku asked, "I'll go with Tess and get Elyon."

"I'll come as well," said Aiden.

"Same here," said Ranma, "you'll need someone to distract the guards and Heartless."

"There's still the problem of getting Elyon," said Cornelia, "even if you can take her by surprise, she can still put up a fight."

"That could be a problem," said Sora.

"We need to knock her out before we take her," said Matt, "she can't destroy us if she's unconscious."

"And how are we going to do that?" Irma asked, "get some animal tranquilizers from your grandpa's pet shop and dope her up?"

"That's not a bad idea," said Sora, "but I've got something better."

* * *

…Meridian…

"So, you've returned in failure yet again, Cedric," said Phobos in a menacing tone as he glared down from his dark throne, "I grow tired of The Guardians getting the best of you time after time."

"It wasn't just The Guardians, Prince Phobos," said Cedric as he knelt before the throne, while Nikolai also knelt. Pantyhose Taro just stood there a few yards back, unconcerned about how to act around a maniacal dark magic user that was on edge.

"Ah, yes," said Phobos in an annoyed tone, as if he had heard this argument before, "the rebels were there as well."

"With all due respect, Prince Phobos," said Nikolai, "the rebels had very little to do with this fiasco. The true architects of this defeat were The Keyblade Wielders. One of them, an alchemist, he had prepared the battlefield before hand and single-handedly all but destroyed the force of Heartless and Nobodies prepared.

"My fellow Hakonians weren't any real assistance themselves. Even after one of my comrades, Konrad, betrayed the other three and merged with the Chimericon, it still wasn't enough against the combined power of The Keyblade Wielders and The Guardians, and Konrad paid with his life for his arrogance."

"And what of your other comrades?" Phobos asked, "I do believe that there were four other Hakonians."

"I'm ashamed to admit it," said Nikolai, "but two of them, Reddik and Rakel, betrayed the fourth, Erika. They killed her and escaped to parts unknown."

"It is true, Prince Phobos," said Cedric, "I saw the betrayal with my own eyes."

"I saw it to," said Pantyhose Taro, "but that's just my point of view."

"This is but a temporarily setback, my lord," said Nikolai, "I had told my comrades that I did not need them, that I had the situation under control before they intruded on my mission. Yet they refused to take their leave, and now two of my comrades are dead and the other two have abandoned their cause and their mistress."

"I hate to be there when Maleficent hears of this disaster," said Phobos.

"As do I," said Nikolai in a grave tone, "my record has been nothing but of the highest level of success. I will surely have to be the one to deliver the bad news. But there is still time to rectify the situation."

"Not as much time as you think," said Phobos as he got up from his throne, while Cedric and Nikolai stood up as well, "with this latest defeat, my need for further power has been intensified. I will have to move up the ceremony that will steal Elyon's power even further. Only with my sister's power at my disposal will I be able to destroy all my enemies in one stroke."

"There may be another potion, my lord," said Nikolai, "another source of power other than Elyon. If the ceremony is as complicated as I understand it, then you will need all the preparation time you need in order for it to work properly."

"If there was another source of power I could use," said Phobos, "then yes, I definitely would seize it and not have to worry about risking ruining the power transfer ritual.

"But there isn't another source. I've taken all that Metamore has to offer, and I'm certainly not risking my own existence by giving myself over to the darkness. I refuse to put my own sentience on the line.

"And before you say it, nor will I be giving myself to Maleficent in exchange for power. I know full well the fates of those whom have joined forces with her without preparing proper terms of alliance first."

"My suggestion is one of a different nature," said Nikolai, "you showed me that potential source no more than a few hours ago."

"Dmitri?" Phobos asked curiously. He began pacing in a contemplating manner, "yes, a Wamphyri Lord would have incredible amounts of power, even one that has been starved such as Dmitri. But it would never work."

"If you can take the power of a confounded little girl," said Nikolai, "if you could steal the magic of an entire world, why can you not take the power of an undead abomination?"

"And risk becoming an undead abomination as a result?" Phobos asked in an accusing tone, "I've taken the knowledge Dmitri has, all the while ensuring that the creature cannot escape. He would surely kill me the first chance he got, or worse, turn me into his undead minion. One bite, one scratch, and I would be his forever."

"So much for that suggestion," muttered Pantyhose Taro.

"If you cannot take his power," said Nikolai, "then you can still use him. Simply turn Dmitri on The Guardians and The Keyblade Wielders. The brats have never faced anything like a Wamphyri Lord. They would fall like dominos, one after another."

"Again, the problem is Dmitri himself," said Phobos, "if I release him then I will be the first to die by his hand."

"I never said to set him free," said Nikolai, "merely put him on a short leash and point him in the right direction."

"That will still be a terrible risk," said Phobos.

Just then Elyon's voice could be heard outside the room, "Phobos? Is everything alright?"

"Of all the inconvenient times," Phobos hissed under his breath as he cast the glamour spell on the room, just as Elyon opened the door. She walked in with Katarina and Miranda.

"The guards looked anxious for some reason," said Elyon, "did something happen?"

"I'm afraid something did happen, Elyon," said Phobos in a concerned, yet kindly manner, "I'm sorry to say it, but the people I asked to help deal with The Rebels and The Guardians, they were destroyed, all of them."

"Oh no," said a shocked Elyon, "all of them? Those nice people from the stars." her face then took on an outraged expression, "I'll bet Cornelia and the others had something to do with it."

"I was there, Princess Elyon," said Nikolai, "I saw The Guardians wipe out the expeditionary force your brother sent. Cedric and I were the only survivors."

"Hey, I was there to, you know," said an irate Pantyhose Taro.

"You were?" Elyon asked, "wait, what was your name again?"

"Ah, he's…" said Nikolai as he struggled to come up with a fake name.

But Pantyhose Taro was already prepared, "I'm just a mercenary. I was hired to take care of those meddling brats, but they outfoxed me. I'm probably not going to get paid anyway."

"How much are you being paid?" Elyon asked in an angry tone, "'cause if you can stop those horrible rebels and get my former friends to back off, it'll be worth it. I'll pay you your weight in gold if you want."

"That's a nice offer," said Pantyhose Taro, "but my price has already been agreed upon, and it's not something that can be valued in terms of money."

Just then one of the guards burst into the room, "my prince! Forgive the intrusion!"

"Out with it man!" said an irritated Phobos, "what is so important?"

"The enemy!" said the soldier, "they're in the castle!"

"WHAT!" raged Phobos.

"How many!" Cedric demanded, "and how did they get inside the castle!"

"There's only a handful, Lord Cedric," said the soldier, "but no one knows how they got in."

"Never mind how they got in," said an outraged Phobos, "just find and destroy them! Either find them and bring me their heads, or I'll collect the heads of my incompetent guards!" at that the soldier bowed nervously and ran out of the room.

"I'll go help," said Pantyhose Taro, "I may just get my reward after all." With that he and Cedric left the room with the soldier.

Phobos then calmed down somewhat, "Elyon, for your own safety, please go back to your room and wait."

"But I can help!" Elyon insisted, "these idiots have been trying to ruin things in this world and I've had just about enough of it! They want to destroy my kingdom, they have to go through me first!"

"I'm sure you would show them who the boss is, Elyon," said Miranda, "but you need to listen to your brother this time."

"Yeah," said Katarina, "it's too dangerous for you, even though it would be fun to fight."

"I'd never forgive myself if anything were to happen to you, Elyon," said Phobos, "so please, for me, go where it is safe."

"Alright, Phobos," said Elyon reluctantly, "I'll play it safe."

"Stay with her, Katarina," said Nikolai, "we'd be poor 'friends' if we didn't do our part to help keep the princess safe."

"Relax," said a smiling Katarina, "I so got this covered."

:_For all our sakes, you'd better,:_ said Nikolai via ESP, _: if this situation gets any worse, then Maleficent would skin us alive.:_

_:Why?:_ Katarina asked, _:what happened? And where are Rakel and the others?:_

_:I'll explain later,: _said Nikolai, _:just go and keep Elyon safe, until she is needed that is.:_

Katarina responded by winking, then she and Miranda escorted Elyon out of the room.

"The rebels must have learned that the ceremony has been moved to tomorrow," said Phobos, "they know that time is running out for them. Well it doesn't matter. As soon as this little intrusion is dealt with, I will initiate the ceremony immediately afterwards, regardless of the risk. I won't wait any longer for my sister's powers!"

"If it would please you," said Nikolai, "I offer my assistance in the ritual. My magic can help ensure that nothing goes wrong in the power transfer."

"I appreciate the offer," said Phobos, "how soon can you be ready?"

"I'm ready now," said Nikolai, "all I need is to see your notes on the ceremony, so I will know what I am doing. But before that I must contact my mistress. Maleficent must be informed that two of her subordinates are dead and two others have turned renegade."

"I will have the notes ready after you've informed your mistress," said Phobos, "but do not take too long."

"I will be as quick as I can," said Nikolai. He bowed and left the room.

* * *

"Talk about bad luck," said Sora as he, Riku, Tess, Aiden, Ranma and Caleb, hurried down the corridors of the castle, "we jump in to where Tess said we should, and just as we come into the castle proper, a servant sees us and screams."

"Not everyone on this world is a rebel," said Caleb, "I'm sorry to say it, but there are some who have fully submitted to Phobos."

"Let's hope Elyon isn't one of them," said Riku, "if we can't convince her of the truth…"

"Don't think about that," said Aiden, "we will save her heart from the darkness."

They had turned a corner and saw dozens of soldiers right in front of them.

"I got this!" said Ranma, "go find Elyon! I'll be alright!"

"You still have to open your own dojo someday!" said Sora as he and the others went back the way they came to take another path.

"Right!" said Ranma. He ran forward and attacked the charging soldiers.

"He'll be alright," said Riku to Caleb, "Ranma's pretty much indestructible."

"I hope you're right," said Caleb.

* * *

Nikolai hurried to his quarters, which turned out to be an oversized storage room that Phobos had hastily ordered converted to a guest suite. The room had a simple rug, a 4-poster bed with feather mattress, a desk and two chairs.

Making sure that the door was locked and casting several spells that would ensure that he wouldn't be disturbed, Nikolai sat down on the rug and went into a magical trance that sent his consciousness through time and space, arriving at New Hollow Bastion.

His ethereal self appeared before Maleficent in her dark throne room.

"Great one," said the transparent image of Nikolai, "I bare grave news. The Keyblade Wielders are on Metamore."

"I know this, Nikolai," said Maleficent, "I sent those four idiot comrades of yours to deal with them, as well as that dark martial artist."

"Then I am afraid that their efforts were in vain," said Nikolai, "Erika and Konrad have fallen, while Rakel and Reddik have betrayed the cause and have left for parts unknown."

"So," said Maleficent in an angry but not surprised tone, "the lovers have shown their true colors at last. I knew it was only a matter of time before those two would betray me for their own selfish reasons."

"If you wish it, oh mistress of all evil," said Nikolai, "I can abandon my mission and pursue the traitors."

"What of the alliance negotiations?" Maleficent asked, "is Phobos one whom can serve the darkness?"

"Indeed he is," said Nikolai, "once he has secured the powers of his sister and is free of The Veil, he will be able to roam at will, devouring one world of its magic after another. I have been invited to participate in the power-transfer ceremony. It would be all to easy to plant some coercions into Phobos' psyche during the ritual, thereby making him submissive to you, great one.

"But there are complications that go beyond The Keyblade Wielders."

"I already know of The Guardians of the Veil," said Maleficent, "those little girls must be destroyed. Make that your top priority, Nikolai. Destroy The Guardians, as well as The Keyblade Wielders. Then you can focus on bringing Phobos into the fold."

"It shall be done, Maleficent," said Nikolai. "There is one more thing. When Erika and Konrad died, the arm rings that allowed them to control Nobodies were destroyed with them. Reddik and Rakel took theirs when they fled, so I am left with nothing to control the Nobodies."

"You shall have what you need to complete your task," said Maleficent, "upon your waking, you shall find the necessary item already in your possession. Now carry out your task, in the name of the everlasting darkness!"

"I am eternally in your debt, oh great and terrible one," said Nikolai.

His consciousness them returned to his body and he stood up. He then realized that he had an arm ring on him, one identical to the ones Reddik, Rakel, Erika and Konrad had.

"Excellent," said Nikolai, "now, if only Katarina can keep her mouth shut for the next few hours, this may not turn out to be a complete disaster after all."

* * *

"I'm sure your brother is doing everything he can," said Miranda to Elyon as they and Katarina made their way back up the castle to Elyon's room.

"I know," said a worried Elyon, "but I still want to help. I've never seen my brother so upset, so…so angry. That rotten Cornelia and the others, they've gone too far this time."

"I'm sure your brother has this covered," said Katarina.

"But what if Cornelia and the others pull some dirty trick and they end up hurting Phobos?" Elyon asked, "I have to do something."

"Nikolai will stop them," said Katarina, "he knows every dirty trick in the book, and a few that he wrote himself. He'll outthink those meddling brats, all of them."

Before Elyon could ask about why Nikolai would know about dirty tricks, she, by sheet chance, touched the corridor wall and pressed a hidden switch that revealed a secret door.

"Did you do that?" an amazed Katarina asked as she looked into the revealed dark tunnel.

"I guess so," said Elyon as she also gazed inward with wonder and curiosity, "let's check it out!"

"I don't think that's a good idea, Elyon," said Miranda in an unsure tone, "there is a crisis going on, and your brother did say to stay where its safe."

"You said that Phobos would be fine," said Elyon, "and we'll be safe. If I didn't know this passage was here, then my former friends surely don't know about it either. Besides, we've got my powers and Katarina's to keep us safe."

"Yeah," said Katarina as she cracked her knuckles, "I'm, up for an adventure. If only I remembered to pack a lunchbox."

"I really don't think you should be going on an adventure in a time like this, Elyon," said Miranda in a stern tone.

"What's the worse that could happen?" Elyon asked as she and Katarina entered the passage.

Miranda sighed with anxiety, "oh, I just know this will end badly for us." She followed Elyon and Katarina into the passage. The hidden door closed behind them.

Elyon used her magic to summon a sphere of white light that illuminated the dusty and cobwebbed corridor. After a few yards the passage began sloping downward, eventually turning into a spiral staircase.

"It looks like nobody has been here for years," said Elyon as they continued down the staircase, "but it looks to have been build centuries ago. But who built this and why?"

"I'll bet there's treasure at the end," said Katarina eagerly, "gold, diamonds and all sorts of shiny stuff."

"We should go back before someone starts worrying about us," said Miranda in an anxious tone, "if Phobos finds us missing, he'll be very upset."

"We'll be back before he knows we left," said Elyon, "come on, Miranda, where's your sense of adventure?"

"It left when you decided to have an adventure that could get yourself hurt," said Miranda.

Just then they staircase ended and a long corridor lay ahead of them. They followed it for about a hundred yards to a dead end.

"There, there's nothing here," said Miranda in a vindicated tone, "can we go back now?"

"Just hold on for a second," said Elyon as she felt along the wall, "they didn't build this place just to have a dead end, not without a good reason."

"They built it to hide something," said Katarina, "I'll bet there's another hidden switch somewhere."

Elyon then pressed said hidden switch, revealing another hidden door.

"I love being right," said a smiling Katarina as she and Elyon entered the hidden door, shortly followed by a still anxious Miranda.

The new corridor was much shorter and came upon another dead end, which Elyon soon found the hidden switch that opened the secret door. But this time they were greeted by a foul smell, like something had died long ago but was still decaying.

"This has to be the most horrible thing I have ever smelt!" exclaimed Katarina as she held her nose with both hands, "it's disgusting!"

"I don't know what you're complaining about," said Elyon as she breathed through her mouth, "sure, it stinks in here, but castles have all sorts of smells, some good and some bad. I'll bet we're near a waste disposal area, or something like that."

"We shouldn't be here, Elyon!" Miranda insisted, "let's go back before things get any worse, please."

"Let's go back before things smell worse!" said Katarina, "my nose is sensitive enough as it is."

"But what could be causing that smell?" Elyon asked.

Just then the three girls heard a dry voice, almost like a whisper, "that would be me. I do apologize for the odor, I haven't had many opportunities to bathe recently."

"Who said that!" Elyon asked as she shown her light across the room, "where are you?" Her light revealed several metal rings imbedded into the walls, rings that could be used to secure chains.

The magical light then illuminated the form of a man chained to the far wall of the room. The man, or at least it looked like a man, winced and hissed at the sudden light. Elyon realized several things then. One, this was no man, not human anyway. Second, the man had animalistic features, like that of a wolf and a bat. Third, that the man looked like he was severely dried out and was in dire need of water. Fourth, his eyes glowed blood red. And finally, that the chains securing the man to the wall were made of pure silver.

"Put out that light!" the creature snapped as it turned its head away from Elyon's light, as if the illumination was causing it great pain.

"Sorry!" said a startled Elyon as she lowered her hand, taking the beam of light away from the creature. Enough of the light still illuminated the creature to show a faint impression in the darkness of the cell, but his red eyes still shown in the blackness.

"No," said the creature in a calmer tone, "it is I who should apologize. I have been in this wretched cell for so long, I have forgotten how to be polite among others. Do come closer of your own free will, I'm sure we have much to talk about."

"How long have you been here?" Elyon asked as she cautiously took a step closer to the creature, "and who…what are you?"

"I am Dmitri Frenczy," said the creature, "and I have been in this place, secured to this wall by these chains of silver for many, many years. As to what I am, let's just say that I am a creature of the night. Bright lights, such as the sun, and that light of yours, is harmful to my being and others like me."

"Who put you here and why?" Elyon asked.

"No, don't listen to it, Elyon!" exclaimed a now terrified Katarina, "Miranda's right, we need to go, now!"

"We should have left long ago," said Miranda, "if Phobos finds out that we've been down to the dungeons, he'll…"

"Ahhhh, Phobos," sighed Dmitri, "I know him well," he looked at Elyon, "you must be his sister, the Princess Elyon, whom I have heard so much about."

"My brother has been here?" Elyon asked, her curiosity overriding her feelings of horror.

"You certainly ask a lot of questions," said Dmitri, "just like your brother when he first found me. I'll get to them as they come to me. To answer who put me here and why, it was your ancestors who locked me up here. I am a creature who survives on blood and life energy. Some of my kind are intelligent and restrained enough to only take what is needed to satisfy their thirst, and to do so without leaving evidence that would lead to their destruction by the hands of mortals. I assume you've guessed what manner of creature I am by now."

"Vampire," said a shocked yet still composed Elyon, "you're a vampire."

"A Wamphyri Lord to be exact," said Dmitri, "those whom simply call themselves vampires are the ones who have control over their needs and desires. While others, such as those who have different abilities, like myself, we have far greater needs and desires, and find it most difficult to restrain ourselves when we indulge ourselves. I was on this world, long ago, when I gave myself over to my needs and desires. I won't say how many people I killed and how many minds I destroyed while fulfilling my bodies' needs, but it was enough to be noticed, and for a Wamphyri, being noticed is almost a death sentence.

"Your ancestors hunted me down and I was captured. Yet they did not destroy me, for they did not know how. I was the first Wamphyri to ever come to this world, and don't ask me how I cam here. I already told that tale to your brother, as well as the knowledge of how those of my kind can be destroyed, and did he thank me for that information? No he did not."

"What does my brother have to do with this?" Elyon asked, her voice cracking with anger, "why would Phobos every talk to such a horrible creature like you?"

"I'm getting to that," said Dmitri, "have patience, young one. I was saying that your ancestors had no knowledge as to how to destroy one such as myself. They had enough magical knowledge to use silver chains to keep me secure. They thought that I would eventually die, locked away down here in my own personal hell. But they did not know that Wamphyri can hibernate. I can go hundreds of years without blood, for that was what I did, until twelve years ago, when your brother found me.

"Phobos was in a distraught state, having learn that his mother had given birth to a girl. As you know, Metamore has always been ruled by queens, but Phobos thought he would be the exception since his parents had no other children.

"But you came along and ruined everything for your brother. Your brother wanted to rule the kingdom himself. He wanted the power, and especially the magic that went with the throne of this world. He wanted that power and the magic of this world more than life itself, and he would kill to get what he wanted."

"What are you talking about?" exclaimed Elyon, "my brother isn't like that! He's a kind and just man who has ruled this kingdom in my place with a fair hand. He's tried to keep things from falling apart while I was trapped on the other side of The Veil, while doing his best to bring a bunch of anarchistic rebels to justice. Phobos isn't a power-crazy lunatic!"

"Is that what he told you?" Dmitri asked as he smiled viciously, showing dozens of razor-sharp teeth and fangs, "because he's told me a different story. He told me that it was unfair that he was shoved aside to make room for a stupid brat, just because that brat was a girl. He said that it was his right, as firstborn, to rule the kingdom.

"I told him, this is all after he had revived me enough through the blood and flesh of rats and other vermin by the way, that I could make his darkest wish come truth. I told him all sorts of secrets that Wamphyri know. I had no qualm about giving away the secrets of my people. I have always been a loner, even among other Wamphyri, so I had no worry about others of my kind coming to enact retribution for my betrayal of trust.

"As for Phobos, he avidly learned all that I taught him, especially on how to use dark magic to steal the magic of others. He began draining the magic out of this world, only a little at a time so as not to attract attention. It wasn't long before he had enough stolen magic to seize power. He deposed his mother, the last queen, and forced you and your caretakers to abandon the world and hide on the other side of the Veil. Phobos has used his power to drain all the magic of this world to the point where there is almost nothing more to take, but it's not enough for him.

"Stolen magic has become an addiction for Phobos. He desires to move outside this world and steal the magic of other worlds. But he is held back by The Veil, imprisoned on this dried up husk of a world, just as I am imprisoned by these chains of silver. There is only one source of magic left for him, a source that will surely allow Phobos to break free of The Veil; you, Elyon."

"No," said Elyon, her voice heavy with shock and denial, "it…can't be."

"Surely you've had doubts about your current situation," said Dmitri, "that things can't be this real, this perfect. Haven't you noticed small things that seem out of place, things you've seen in the corner of your eye yet appeared normal when you looked at them fully? And let me ask you this; have you actually talked to any of the people in this kingdom? Have you walked outside of the castle and saw the city of Meridian for what it is? I'm sure you'll find that what you see and hear, and what Phobos has told you, are two very different things indeed."

"Don't listen to it, Elyon!" exclaimed Miranda, her face twisted with anger, "nothing a Wamphyri says is true!"

"How can you know that if you've never seen a Wamphyri before?" Dmitri asked in an accusing tone, "I am the only one of my kind on this world, and only Phobos and his inner circle, and some of his minions, know about me."

"No," said Elyon in a desperate tone as she shook her head in denial, "no."

"Deny it all you wish, little princess," said Dmitri, "I am the one who taught Phobos every thing he knows about the dark arts, and I am the one who taught him the ritual that will be used to drain all of your magic and life force and imbed it in him. He'll turn what's left of you into a black rose afterwards and add you to his personal garden. That part was his own idea, although I wished I had thought of it."

"NO!" exclaimed Elyon as she turned around and ran for the corridor, tears of horror and denial flowing from her eyes all the way.

"Great," said Katarina as she pulled out a flashlight from a hidden pocket in her dress and shone it on the creature, "way to spoil things for us, jerk! I ought to burn you alive!"

"When Phobos hears of this," said an irate Miranda, her voice changing to that of a normal girl to a deeper, slightly raspy one of a monster, "he'll drag you out to the sunlight and leave you to die!"

"I'd welcome a final death," said Dmitri as he closed his eyes against the flashlight, "if only to get away from this wretched place. But enough about me. Don't you have a princess to mind?"

"Oh crap!" said Miranda in her human voice, "Elyon! If anything happens to her, Phobos will blame us and he'll skin us alive!"

"My skin is very tough to remove," said Katarina, "but you're right, we need to go after her." She glared back at Dmitri, "you'll pay for this, creep!"

"Put it on my tab," said Dmitri, "and don't be a stranger. Do come back any time you wish, and do come closer next time. I won't bite, hard." at that he began laughing as Katarina and Miranda ran after Elyon.

* * *

"We're almost to Elyon's room," said Tess as she, Sora, Riku, Aiden and Caleb hurried through the castle corridors, "if she's not there, we'll look somewhere else."

"For all we know she's with Phobos," said Caleb.

"We won't know until we see her ourselves," said Sora.

Just then a hidden door in the wall up ahead opened out and out burst a still distraught Elyon. Sora and the others were still running, but he, Riku, Tess and Caleb managed to stop running in time to avoid hitting Elyon. But Aiden wasn't so lucky. He and Elyon collided and fell to the floor in a heap.

"Are you alright?" Riku asked them both as he and Tess helped Aiden and Elyon up.

"Nothing hurt but my pride," said Aiden. He looked at Elyon, "are you okay? Did I hurt you at all?"

"No," said a slightly disoriented Elyon, "I'm alright. I'm sorry I ran into you, I should have looked where I was going."

"I'm sorry I didn't stop in time," said Aiden, "that's no way to treat a princess. Um, this is going to sound strange, but could you hold still for just one minute? I need to check something." he looked at Elyon's face from different angles. "Uh-huh, uh-huh, nope, nothing."

"She's not one of them?" Riku asked.

"She's a princess alright," said Aiden, "she is Elyon, but she's not a Princess of Heart."

"Well that's one less thing to worry about," said Sora.

"What's going on?" Elyon asked, "who are you people?"

"We're here to help you, Princess Elyon," said Caleb as he knelt in front of her, "we're here for your own safety and well being."

"We just need to get you out of the castle for a while," said Tess.

Just then Elyon's face twisted with anger, "wait a second, I know you!" she pointed an accusing finger at Caleb, "you're the rebel leader! You're the one who's hanging out with Cornelia so much!" she then glared accusingly at Sora, Riku, Aiden and Tess, "you're all rebels! You're here to abduct me and ruin my coronation! Well, your anarchistic plans won't work!"

"We don't want to hurt you," said Riku, "but you have to come with us."

"It's for the good of the whole world," said Caleb, "if you'll just come with us and listen to what Cornelia and the others have to say…"

"I don't want anything to do with Cornelia and the others!" snapped Elyon, "I hate them! I hate them for lying to me, for not telling me who I was, for being Guardians, for upsetting my brother so much and for ruining the kingdom!"

"She's not going to listen to us," said Tess, "so let's just get this mess over with already!"

"You want me!" Elyon asked in a threatening as her body pulsed with white magic, "come and get me!"

"I'm sorry to have to do this," said Sora. He aimed his Keyblade at Elyon, "Stop!" the spell hit Elyon and froze her in time. But Elyon broke free of the spell without breaking a sweat.

"Right back at you!" snapped Elyon as she shot a sphere of white magic at Sora. He tried to dodge it, but it hit him and knocked him unconscious.

She then sent another stunning sphere at Riku. He blocked it with his Dark Shield, but Elyon sent a more powerful attack spell at him. The spell broke through his shield and knocked him down.

Tess went invisible in order to get behind Elyon, but Elyon sent out a spray of small white spells that found Tess and forced her to become visible again.

"Still think abducting me is a good idea?" Elyon asked as she charged up a massive white sphere, "Phobos won't like it that I had to make a mess in the castle, but when he hears that I destroyed several rebels, I'm sure he'll forgive me."

"For the love of the gods, woman!" exclaimed Aiden, "we're not your enemies!"

"Then leave me alone!" shouted Elyon as she raised her arms to attack.

Just then Ranma jumped in and grabbed Elyon's hands from behind, forcing her to release her magic.

"Let go of me!" she exclaimed as she struggled to get free of Ranma's grip, "I'll rip you apart!"

"I can't let you hurt my friends," said Ranma, "and besides, we need you. Aiden, if you got something that can calm her down, do it."

"I do," said Aiden, "but you'll get hit with it as well."

Elyon then stomped her heel onto Ranma's foot, followed by kicking him in the groin. He nearly doubled over in pain, but still held onto Elyon's hands. "Just do it already!"

"Here it goes!" said Aiden as he aimed his Keyblade above Elyon and Ranma. He transmuted the air above the two of them into sleeping gas. It didn't take long for Elyon to feel drowsy. She stopped struggling and her eyes began to close.

"Oh you… you dirty sons of…" said Elyon before she passed out into Ranma's arms.

By then Sora, Riku and Tess had recovered. "Sleeping gas," said Riku as Aiden transmuted the remaining gas into normal air, "nice."

"I would have just used Stop again," said Sora, "but this works as well. But why didn't the gas work on Ranma as well?"

"I've been poisoned by Kodatchi and Akane enough times to have build up an immunity," said Ranma, "sleeping gas is no problem."

"May I suggest that we get out of here before the guards come?" Tess asked.

"You won't get any arguments from me," said Aiden while Sora nodded in agreement. He grabbed Caleb, while Ranma carried the unconscious Elyon and Riku held onto Tess.

But then Miranda and Katarina emerged from the secret passage. "What the…hey!" shouted Katarina. She ran at our heroes and grabbed Ranma by the shoulder, just as our heroes jumped out.

Miranda just stood there in the empty hallway for a few seconds, "okay," she finally said in a defeated tone, "I'm dead. When Phobos hears of this, I'm dead."

* * *

Our heroes arrived back in the new rebel base. Sora and the others were startled to hear Ranma gasp in exhaustion and he collapsed to the ground, taking the unconscious Elyon with her.

"What happened?" Will and Kairi both asked.

"I'm what happened!" said Katarina as she glared at everyone, "you meddling brats don't know what kind of trouble you just bought!"

"Well you hitchhiked onto Ranma," said Riku in an accusing tone, "I don't think someone jumping through the Möbius Continuum can carry more than one passenger."

"He's just passed out," said Naminé as she examined Ranma, "he'll be alright in a few minutes."

"Too bad you'll all be dead in a few minutes," said Katarina in a menacing tone. She threw off her dress, revealing a form-fitting black martial arts outfit underneath, "Nikolai and the others couldn't defeat you Keyblade brats, so it looks like it's up to me to crush you all!"

"And who would you be?" Roxas asked.

"Isn't it obvious?" Riku asked, "she's Katarina, the last of the seven Hakonians."

"Oh there's plenty more where I came from," said Katarina, "my friends, Reddik, Rakel, Erika, Ulrik, Konrad and Nikolai, we just happened to be the strongest of our age group. There are other Hakonians who are a lot older and stronger, some whom are stronger than the seven of us put together."

"Well," said Aiden, "we'll just have to defeat them when we get to them, after we defeat you first."

"We already defeated Konrad," said Sora, "and now we'll beat you. That'll leave just Reddik, Erika, Ralek and that other guy, Nikolai."

"Oh, that reminds me," said Katarina, "Erika's also dead, and Reddik and Rakel ran away, so all that's left is just Nikolai and me. But I'm more than enough to do the job," she pointed at our heroes, "You Keyblade Wielders have caused a lot trouble for my mistress, Maleficent, and you got some of my friends killed. The only way Ulrik, Konrad and Erika can rest in peace is for me to kill you all!"

"I think you're in no position to say such things," said Caleb as he and several other rebels drew their weapons, "you're completely outnumbered."

"And outgunned!" said Irma as she, Will, Hay Lin, Cornelia and Taranee stood together, "we don't have any guns here, but you get the idea."

"Guardians Unite!" shouted Will as she held up The Heart of Kandracar.

"Ooh, nice transformation," said Katarina, "and nice outfits, they go well with the rest of you."

"You really think so?" Cornelia asked, "'cause I never thought the colors matched my hair. The wings yes, but my outfit could use a little less purple, maybe a dash of gold here and there."

"I was saying that they go well with the rest of you," said a viciously smiling Katarina, "since they'll be the outfits you'll be buried in!" Before anyone could react, Katarina ran over to Cornelia, grabbed her by the arm and threw her to the ground hard.

"Cornelia!" shouted Caleb. He rushed at Katarina with his sword raised, but Katarina moved up first, disarmed him with one kick and knocked Caleb to the ground with a second kick.

"She's stronger than she looks!" said Sora, "everyone! Spread out and surround her!"

"We could play it that way," said Katarina as our heroes and allies encircled her, "I could just kill you all by myself, but that would take way too long. I know, how about we play a different game. We'll play tag, and you guys are it!" She waved her hand and several dozen Heartless filled the room.

But then Ranma recovered and managed to destroy all the attacking Heartless all by himself, "nobody else has to get involved, lady. This is now between you and me."

"That's what I'm talking about!" Katarina said eagerly, "wait, who are you again? Oh wait, I know. You're that boy Maleficent wants, The Child of Chaos."

"Why does Maleficent want Ranma?" Kairi asked, "and why did you call him that?"

"I've been called that before," said Ranma, "it means that wherever I go, trouble is usually right behind me. That part is true, and here's something else," he assumed his fighting stance, "you're going down!"

"If you wanted to fight me so badly," said a smiling Katarina as she too assumed a fighting stance, "then why didn't you say so? Let's dance!"

"Only if I get to lead!" shouted Ranma as he rushed at Katarina, "Katsu Tenshin Amaguriken!" his fists became a blur as he punched at Katarina.

But Katarina merely blocked the punches as easily as catching a softly thrown ball.

"Is that all you got, little boy?" Katarina asked, "'cause now it's my turn!" she too began punching rapidly at Ranma, but he also blocked her punches.

"Where did you learn to move so fast you could grab a chestnut out of an open fire without getting burned?" an impressed Ranma asked.

"I learned that technique long ago," said Katarina, "I'm older than I look, you know."

"I wouldn't have noticed," said Ranma, "for a Villain, you're kinda nice, and exceptionally cute."

"You're cute too," said Katarina, "for a goody two-shoes. I'd date you in no time flat. Shame I have to bring you back to Maleficent."

"I'd date you also," said Ranma, "but I ain't going to Maleficent, sorry."

"I'm sorry, too," said Katarina, "that you don't have a choice! You're coming with me and you'll serve the mistress of all evil!" she then launched a massive barrage of kicks and punches that Ranma barely blocked.

But then Katarina moved to Ranma's side and delivered a bone-crunching kick to his ribs and knocked him down.

"I'll tell you what," said Katarina as she grinned viciously, "when Maleficent's done with you, then we can go on a date. I can show you my kitty cat, Fluffy. Oh wait, he's not mine anymore. It doesn't matter, you're still coming with me!"

"The hell he will!" shouted Riku as he, Sora, Kairi, Aiden, Donald and Goofy stood with Ranma, "you'll have to go through us first!"

"I could do that," said Katarina, "or maybe I'll do this!" she suddenly grabbed at something in the air next to her, something that revealed itself to be Tess. She had tried to sneak behind Katarina with her razor out, but Katarina had grabbed Tess by the throat and forced her to become visible again.

"No!" shouted Riku.

"Oh yeah!" said Katarina triumphantly, "I've got her," she squeezed Tess's throat, "and she's dead!" Tess was barely getting enough air to stay conscious. She tried to cut the vicious Hakonian with her razor, but the steel blade barely scratched Katarina's skin.

"Here's the deal, Ranma Saotome," said Katarina, "you in exchange for her. Come with me and she'll live. Don't come and I'll crush her throat like a grape."

Tess then gasped, "don't do it!"

"We'll think of something, Tess!" said Riku, "don't panic! We'll save you!"

"No you won't!" said Katarina, "only Ranma can save her," she looked at Ranma as he got back up, "so what's it going to be, boy? Your freedom? Or her life?"

"Don't do it, Ranma," said Sora, "We'll save her, somehow."

But Ranma had already made his mind up. He was just about to step forward to surrender himself to the vicious Hakonian, when fate intervened.

Elyon, who had regained consciousness not too long ago, had seen heard everything from the point where Ranma and Katarina started fighting. Elyon stood up and used a translocation spell to get Tess away from Katarina, depositing her next to Riku. Tess gasped for air and fell to her knees in relief.

"Elyon?" a confused Katarina asked as she looked at the princess. Elyon glared at her with revulsion and rage as she blasted Katarina with a massive stunning spell.

Katarina took the blast and fell to the ground, but she was still conscious, "why?" she asked in a shocked tone, "I…I thought we were friends."

"That was before I heard you say about serving some sort of mistress of all evil," said an irate Elyon, "you lied to me, Katarina, and I hate being lied to!" she blasted Katarina with another stunning spell, this one knocking the vicious Hakonian completely out cold.

"Elyon," said Cornelia, hoping against hope that her friend had come around.

But she hadn't, not yet anyway. Elyon faced Cornelia and glared at her, "Stay away from me! All of you!"

"Just back off," said Will to everyone, "give her some room to breathe and calm down."

"I don't need to calm down!" said an outraged Elyon, "I need you anarchistic rebels to let me go! Now!"

"We'll let you go soon enough, Elyon," said Hay Lin as she held the Book of Secrets in her hands, "as soon as you've heard what we have to say. You really need to see this"

"No!" snapped Elyon, "I don't want to hear anything you have to say. Nothing you say is the truth. You never told me the truth back in Heartherfield, so why should I listen to your lies now!"

"We're not lying!" said Cornelia, "not about this! Elyon, I'm sorry we didn't tell you that you were a princess."

"We're also sorry that we didn't tell you about our powers," said Irma, "but, you got to admit that if we did, would you have believed us? You probably would have thought we were crazy."

"But there was also the reason that we didn't know if we could fully trust you," said Will.

"You are Phobos' sister after all," said Hay Lin, "we thought that you might be evil at heart like him."

"My brother isn't evil!" exclaimed Elyon, "he's a kind and generous man who just wants to keep this kingdom together until I assume the throne. But you Guardians and rebels, you just want to destroy everything my brother has worked for! You've done such terrible things that have ruined this kingdom and its people. Well I've had enough of it! The second I'm queen, I'll make it my mission to destroy you troublemakers so that good, decent, kind people can have a chance to live and prosper!"

"Oh for crying out loud!" snapped Kairi, "you're so wrapped up in your delusions that you don't know the truth when it's right in front of you!"

"I know the truth when is see it!" said Elyon, "and you, and you," she pointed at Kairi, Sora, Riku, Aiden, Roxas, Naminé, "I don't know who you are or where you come from," she pointed at Goofy and Donald, "and I don't know what you two are, but I do know that you're working with my enemies, and therefore are enemies of this world!"

"We're here to help this world, you brainwashed bimbo!" Aiden snapped.

"If you would just calm down for a minute and hear what your friends have to say," said Sora.

"No!" exclaimed Elyon, "I've had enough of listening to lies!" her eyes then glowed slightly with magic, "I've had enough of this rebellion. It ends now!"

Sora and the others then felt a pressure on their minds, as if someone was trying to plant a psychic command onto them.

"What is she doing?" Sora asked.

"It's a Compulsion!" said Naminé, "Elyon's trying to get everyone in the room to think as she thinks."

"Well I don't feel any different," said Hay Lin.

"Me neither," said Will.

"Our powers must be protecting us," said Taranee.

"I think you're right," Cornelia, "but I think it's giving me a headache."

"Me too," said Hay Lin.

"Our powers are protecting us as well," said Riku, "but I don't think everyone else is so lucky."

To the shock of Sora and the others, they saw the eyes of nearly every rebel, save Caleb, glaze over as Elyon's psychic pressure took them over. One by one they dropped their weapons.

"All this plotting, conspiring and all around evil," said Elyon, "it has to stop before this kingdom, before the whole world is ripped apart. It has to stop!"

"It has to stop," said all the affected rebels.

"You've all been fighting against a good person," said Elyon, "Phobos isn't some tyrannical maniac, he's a good person."

"Phobos is a good person," said all the affected rebels.

"What are you doing?" exclaimed Caleb, "why are you listening to her? We all know what Phobos has done! To all of us and to this world!"

"You may think that my brother is the bad guy," said Elyon, "but he's the victim of your own misguided anger."

"Our own misguided anger," said the affected rebels.

"She's brainwashing them!" said Aiden, "we have to stop her!"

"Okay, this proves it," said Irma, "Elyon's gone over to the dark side."

"But she's not ordering the rebels around," said Cornelia, "if she were evil, she'd have them attack us."

"I'll bet Elyon's doing this subconsciously," said Taranee, "she's probably not even aware that she's using magic."

"Then we have to stop her," said Riku, "before she goes to far."

"But how can we do that and still convince her that we're not the enemy?" Hay Lin asked.

"Like this," said Tess as she picked up her razor and headed towards Elyon. The brainwashed princess was so engrossed in her thoughts and unconscious magic that she didn't notice Tess at all.

"Wait, don't!" said both Riku and Cornelia, but they were too late. Tess then sliced a long but shallow cut on the back of Elyon's hand. It wasn't a serious cut, barely more than a slightly bloody scratch, but it was painful enough to snap Elyon out of her magical fugue. The magic fled from her eyes, which resumed their normal ice blue.

All the affected rebels also snapped out of their trances, all of them blinking in confusion.

Elyon clutched at her cut hand in shock as she then realized that Tess was there with her razor out.

"I'm really sorry I had to do that," said Tess as she wiped the blood off her razor, "I really am, especially after you saved my life. But I had to do it. You were putting the whammy on all these people and you had to be stopped."

"But…I…" said a still shocked Elyon.

"I'm the one who's talking here," said an irate Tess as she waved her razor in front of Elyon's face, "and you will listen to what I have to say, as well as what the others have to say. You think you know the truth about your brother? That he's a good person and we're the bad guys? Well, what if, hypothetically speaking, everything you think you know about Phobos and what he told you about this world, its people and about your friends The Guardians, was all lies? Well?"

"I…I guess, hypothetically speaking," said Elyon in an unsure tone, "I would have a lot of apologizing to do," But then her convictions returned and she glared at everyone with accusing eyes, "but that's just a theory, and a false one at that. I know my brother, he would never lie to me. You're all part of some terrible conspiracy, you rebels, Guardians, everyone! Even Katarina, who's probably here to exploit Phobos, and that Nikolai person as well. Even that thing in the dungeon, it's part of the conspiracy as well!"

"What thing in the dungeon?" Will asked.

"As if you didn't know," said Elyon in an accusing tone.

"She's probably talking about what the other me said about a Wamphyri," said Sora.

"So you do know!" said Elyon in a vindictive tone, "you all are working together to undermined my brother!"

Tess then abruptly slapped Elyon hard across the face, "will you shut up for one thrice-damned minute already!"

The sudden strike to her face was enough to shock Elyon into silence.

"It looks like pain is the only way to get your attention," said Tess in a grim tone, "that's fine with me. If I have to hurt you to get you to see the truth, then so be it. I'm going to destroy your version of what is real and what is lie. And I'm going to start by showing you this."

Tess took off her gloves and showed Elyon the back of her hands. Elyon gasped at the sight of the multiple scars. "Who...who did this to you?" she asked in a shocked and angry tone, "was it Cornelia? Or did all of her friends gang up on you?"

"If you have half a brain," said Tess, "you'd see that these scars are several years old, years before The Guardians arrived on Metamore."

Elyon then realized that indeed Tess' scars were several years old.

"That's just the beginning," said Tess as she took off her jacket and unbuttoned her shirt, "you think Phobos is a good person, well take a good look at the results of an order he gave!"

To everyone's shock and horror, Tess removed all her clothes, revealing what Kairi had already heard but was too afraid to fully believe. Nearly all of Tess' body from her neck down was covered in several layers of scars, scars that were from whips, beatings and brandings.

"My father made a mistake," said Tess as she stood naked before Elyon, her mutilated body illuminated for all to see, "an honest mistake, a random accident that could have been shrugged off as nothing, but the mistake was made on an evil man who worked for a man of greater evil. That greater evil was Phobos, and he ordered that I be tortured to death, slowly. I barely escaped with my life, but my father paid for my freedom with his life."

Horrified, Elyon closed her eyes and turned away, but Tess grabbed her head and forced her eyes open, "Don't you look away! I want you to see what was done to me! I want you to see just what kind of person your brother is!"

"I think Elyon has our attention now, Tess," said Kairi as Elyon looked at Tess with stunned silence.

"Maybe it would be a good idea for your to put your clothes on now," said Riku.

"I think you're right," said Tess. She backed away from Elyon and began to get dressed again. "I'm pretty sure she has our undivided attention."

"Tess isn't the only victim of Phobos' tyranny," said Caleb to Elyon, "everyone in this rebellion has a tale to tell," he addressed all those under his command, "our princess is willing to listen to us now, so tell her. Tell Elyon the truth about Phobos' rein of terror."

One by one several of the rebels came forward and gave Elyon an abbreviated but graphic story of what Phobos did. They told of innocent people imprisoned over the slightest offenses; of impossibly high taxes, of people tortured in the castle dungeons, of people thrown into forced labor, of homes destroyed, of farms and crops ruined, of families torn apart, of the magic of an entire world stolen, all to satisfy the insane greed of a wicked man. And Elyon listened to them all.

Finally, Hay Lin opened the Book of Secrets and showed it to Elyon. A magical projection of Phobos appeared, which then spoke about his plan to steal all of Elyon's magic and life-force, then to turn what was left of Elyon into a black rose for his personal garden.

"Oh my god," said a shocked Elyon as the image of Phobos vanished, "he…my brother…all this time…he…he was just using me…he never loved me at all."

"I'm sorry you had to find out this way, Elyon," said Cornelia in a sad tone.

"We really wanted to tell you the truth before," said Irma, "but we didn't know how to tell you so you wouldn't freak out."

"All this time he fed me lies about…about everything," said Elyon in a distant tone, "he used me to hurt you all. And Cedric, he…he only pretended to like me in order to get me to Phobos."

"I'm afraid it's worse than that," said Will, "he's not even human."

"He turns into this big ugly snake monster with big sharp fangs and a really ugly face," said Hay Lin.

"You're serious?" Elyon asked.

"We've seen the ugly creep enough times," said Taranee, "it's true alright."

"I think I'm going to be sick," said a disgusted Elyon as she sat down, clutching at her stomach, "I actually wanted to kiss him!"

"I know, it's disgusting," said Cornelia, "are you alright?"

"I just need a minute," said Elyon as she breathed deeply, "I…this is a lot to take in."

"That's understandable," said Will, "but, you are going to be okay, right?"

"I think so," said Elyon, "right now I'm angry at Phobos, Cedric and Miranda as well, I'm sure she was mixed up with this somehow and is on Phobos' side."

"She's his minion alright," said Hay Lin, "someone told us that she turns into a spider creature."

At that Elyon sighed, "and what about Katarina? And that Nikolai guy?"

"They're Hakonians," said Sora, "evil through and through."

"They work for a greater evil," said Kairi as she and Aiden tied up the still unconscious Katarina, "a sorceress who calls herself the mistress of all evil."

"Maleficent," said Elyon as she eyed Katarina, "and what about those things, those creatures made of living darkness?"

"Heartless," said Riku. He and the others then gave Elyon a brief rundown on Heartless and Nobodies as well.

"This is getting to be too much," said Elyon, "one thing at a time. First things' first, Phobos."

"We'll deal with him soon," said Caleb, "him, Cedric and all the other dark ones who have made this world so miserable."

"I think I want to see the truth now," said Elyon, "I want to see Meridian, the real Meridian, not that all too beautiful illusion of a city that Phobos showed me."

"We can do that," said a smiling Will, while Irma, Taranee, Cornelia and Hay Lin nodded in agreement.

"Why are you being so nice to me?" Elyon asked, "After all that I did to you? After I hurt you so much? You should hate me."

"We don't hate you," said Cornelia, "even after all that's happened, we never stopped being friends."

At that Elyon began to cry and was quickly embraced by Cornelia, followed by Will and the others.

"I don't deserve friends like you," sobbed Elyon.

"Too bad," said Irma, "you're stuck with us."

"I think Elyon is going to be okay," said Kairi.

"That's one less thing to worry about," said Riku.

"Half of our mission is complete," said Aiden, "we saved Elyon's heart from the darkness."

"It's not over yet," said Sora, "we still have to defeat Phobos."

"Easier said than done," said Tess as she picked up her gloves, "Phobos is sure to have figured out by now that Elyon is gone. He's going to come looking for her soon, and he's going to be pissed."

"We'll be ready for him," said Roxas, while Sora and the others nodded in agreement, "but I think we have time before the final fight."

"Let's talk about you for a bit," said Kairi to Tess.

"That was a very brave and bold thing you just did, Tess," said Naminé as the rebels continued their stories.

"Something just snapped inside of me," said Tess as she put her gloves back on, then thought about it, then took them back off, "I felt that I had nothing to lose by showing myself to Elyon, that she needed to see what was done to me, and I needed to show myself to everyone else. For some reason, I feel…free, like a huge weight has been lifted from my shoulders, and…and from somewhere else."

"Your heart maybe," said Riku, "I think you're beginning to finally come to terms with what was done to do and let go of the past."

"I feel like I'm ready to let go," said Tess, "that I'm ready to move on and make a future of my own."

"We'll help you if you want," said Sora, while Aiden, Roxas, Donald and goofy nodded in agreement.

"And I can help you in another way," said Kairi, "I said earlier that I couldn't help you, not with your state of mind and heart. But now that I've thought about it, I can help the rest of you. If you wish it, I can use my magic to remove those scars. I can't heal the mental and emotional trauma, but I can at least help you look normal on the outside."

"You can do that?" Tess asked in a hopeful tone, "you…you can make me look normal again? I've had these scars for so long, I…I don't know if I can live without them."

"You won't know if you don't try," said Roxas.

"You'd do this for me?" Tess asked as tears began to fall from her eyes, "why? I hardly know you guys?"

"Helping people is what we do," said Sora, "especially if they're our friends."

"Friends," said Tess, "yes." She stood there for a minute, lost in her own thoughts. Finally she held her razor up in her hand, "I know now that hate and rage, that revenge, will only lead me into darkness from which there will be no return. I know now that killing Phobos won't bring my father back, nor will any of the other lives I took will return my father to me."

She then walked to a spot in the chamber where there was a large hole in the floor, a hole that seemed to go down forever, "I renounce all thoughts and feelings of vengeance! Let justice be delivered by those who have the true right to deliver it!" she then threw the razor into the hole.

"Wow," said Aiden, "that must have took a lot of guts."

"More than you realize," said Tess as tears began to fall from her yes, yet she looked happy.

"That razor was all you had left of your father," said Riku in an astonished tone.

"He would have wanted me to get rid of it," said Tess, "he would have wanted me to move on with my life and find happiness. And as soon as things are done here, I'm going to do just that."

Just then something completely unexpected happened. Out of nowhere appeared a Keyblade in the principle Kingdom Key form. It hovered in front of Tess, as if waiting for her to grab it.

"Holly Cow!" exclaimed Sora, Kairi and Aiden.

"It's a Keyblade alright," said Roxas.

"Definitely," said Naminé,

"Does this mean Tess is a Keyblade Wielder?" Goofy asked.

"Of course it does, ya' big palooka!" said Donald.

Tess stood there, looking at the hovering Keyblade as if unsure of what to do next.

"Take it," said Riku, "It's yours!"

Cautiously, Tess placed her hand on the grip of the Keyblade. The second she touched it the Keyblade changed in a flash of light. The blade was now shorter in length by three inches and colored blue, green and white. The handle guard had conformed to fit Tess' hand like a glove and was now red and orange, while a silver and white charm hung from the handle.

"Just how many of us are there?" Aiden asked.

"Yan Lin said that there would be others," said Sora, "that in our future, in her past, she would meet us and there would be more Keyblade Wielders."

"Did she say how many?" Roxas asked.

"Not really," said Kairi, "but then, I guess it's for the best that she didn't tell us. Knowing the future can change it after all."

"What just happened here?" Cornelia asked our heroes.

"I'll tell you what just happened," said Riku, "a destiny has been revealed."

Tess held up her Keyblade and looked at it curiously, as if it were the most fascinating and confusing thing in the universe, "what does this mean?"

"It means that you're now a part of something really cool," said Kairi, "and that you never have to be alone again."

"Welcome to the gang, Tess," said Sora. "and if you're going to be one of us, your Keyblade is going to need a name," he held up his, "Ultima Weapon."

"Destiny's Embrace," said Kairi as she held up hers.

**Note: I got that off of Wikipedia.**

"Way to the Dawn," said Riku as he held up his Keyblade.

"Grand Arcadium," said Aide as he held up his.

"Oathkeeper and Oblivion," said Roxas as he held up both of his Keyblades.

"I don't need a Keyblade," said Naminé, "but I wouldn't mind having one. I'm kinda tired of just being in the background of a battle."

"We'll ask The King when we see him next," said Kairi.

Tess looked at her Keyblade from all angles before finally saying, "Freedoms' Light. That's what my Keyblade's name is."

"Freedoms' Light," said Riku, "I like it." Sora and the others also nodded in agreement.

* * *

"We searched every inch of the castle, Prince Phobos," said a soldier, "but there is no sign of the rebel intruders."

"They couldn't have vanished!" snapped Phobos, "the rebels and the Guardians don't have that kind of power, and I would have sensed if they used a portal!"

"Portals aren't the only way of getting out of a sticky situation," said Nikolai.

"If I wanted your opinion I would have asked for it!" said Phobos.

Just then two more soldiers brought in a slightly roughed up and very frightened Miranda, "we found her trying to escape, Prince Phobos."

"It wasn't my fault, Prince Phobos!" exclaimed Miranda.

"Then you shouldn't have tried to run away," said a disappointed Cedric.

"I will only ask once, Miranda," said an irate Phobos, "where is my sister?"

At that Miranda fell to her knees, "forgive me, my prince! The rebels, they took her! They also took Katarina. I tried to stop them, but I was too late! Please spare my life!"

"I should kill you here and now, you worthless shape-shifter!" raged Phobos. He shot a bolt of magic at Miranda that forced her, painfully, to revert to her true form of a four-legged creature whose entire body was covered in thick coarse black hair. The creature had four glowing green eyes.

"It was Elyon's fault!" snapped the creature, Miranda, in a harsh, raspy voice, "I tried to get her to stay in her room, but she found this hidden passageway. She wouldn't listen to me!"

"What hidden passageway!" Phobos demanded, "show me!"

Miranda then showed Phobos, Cedric and Nikolai to where Elyon found the first secret door. "I tried to stop her, my prince," said Miranda, "but that girl has far too much curiosity in her."

"I won't argue with that," said Phobos as he looked into the corridor, "of all the secrets for Elyon to have discovered, it had to be this one."

"What's so special about this secret?" Nikolai asked.

"This hidden corridor leads directly to Dmitri's cell," said Phobos, "a secret back door. I found this very same passageway when I was younger. It's how I discovered Dmitri in the first place. Come, I do believe it's time for me and my Wamphyri guest to have another chat, face to face." He went into the passageway.

"Not again," said a frightened Miranda

"You're not going to go into that chamber," said a worried Cedric, "with that thing, are you, Prince Phobos?"

"Why not?" Nikolai asked as he followed Phobos, "it's his castle, and Dmitri is his prisoner."

Hesitantly, Cedric and Miranda went in after them.

After the long corridor and staircase, Phobos arrived in the cell via the back way. He used his magic illuminate the cell. Once again Dmitri hissed at the sudden brightness. He closed his red, lupine eyes, then slowly opened them again and looked at the usurping prince.

"Ahhhh, Phobos," said Dmitri is his dry voice, "So nice of you to visit me again today, a day that is full of unexpected visits. I recently had a lovely little chat with your enchanting sister."

"You spoke with Elyon!" exclaimed Phobos, "What did she ask! And what did you tell her!"

"A little of this and a little of that," said Dmitri in a taunting manner, "but I mostly talked about how naughty you've been. She didn't believe me at first and ran before I could tell her of the full extent of our little arrangement, but I do believe that the seed of doubt was planted. And from what I've heard, echoing down from the corridors above, Elyon has been taken from you."

"I won't deny it," said Phobos in an enraged but still composed tone, "my sister has been abducted by my enemies, the rebels, The Guardians and The Keyblade Wielders."

"Then I do believe that it is only a matter of time," said Dmitri, "before your enemies convince the child of the truth, and all your wonderful plans come crashing down like a tone of bricks.

"But you're not here for an idle chat, aren't you? You need my help, for you wouldn't come in here, putting your own life and soul at risk, if you weren't desperate. So, what is it that you will offer me in exchange for my help? I know already, for it is the only you can offer me; my freedom."

"Indeed," said Phobos, "circumstances are no longer under my control. I must resolve this situation before it is too late."

"Then we have an understanding," said Dmitri, "I will help you destroy your enemies, and in return, once you have secured your sister's powers, you will provide me with the means to leave this miserable world once and for all."

"Then we have an agreement," said Phobos. "I assume you will need something to whet your appetite before you go into battle."

"I will need more than something," said Dmitri in a demanding tone, "you've kept me conscious and rational thought he blood and life force of those you wished disposed of, and only one at a time at irregular intervals. These 'tidbits,' while enough to keep me from going into blood-deprived hibernation, were hardly enough to give me back my strength. If you wish for my help, I will need more than just one condemned prisoner. I want a lot more. Give me back my strength, and I will destroy your enemies. Then I will take my freedom and take my leave of this wretched world."

"You'll get what you need," said Phobos. He then looked at Miranda, "go back up the passageway and close the doors behind you. I won't take any chances of Dmitri escaping prematurely."

"I wouldn't dream of leaving before the task is completed," said Dmitri.

"Of course," said Phobos in a tone that said he didn't believe Dmitri at all. As Miranda went back up the hidden corridors, closing the doors behind her, Phobos went to the front door of the cell to unlock it with magic.

"I can do that for you," said Nikolai. He pointed his staff at the door and the locks clicked open from the outside, "you're magical reserves must be low and won't rise again for a while. The sooner we get Elyon back, the sooner you will be at full power and beyond."

"I do believe that this alliance may work out after all," said Phobos as he, Cedric and Nikolai exited the cell. They arrived in the torch lit corridor, startling the guards outside.

"Prince Phobos!" exclaimed one of the guards, "how did…what were you doing in there with that…that thing?"

"Never mind what I was doing with our guest," said Phobos, "and speaking of which, be expected for more than the usual rations for Dmitri to arrive. Now if you'll excuse me, I must have a word with the dungeon keepers about prisoner transfers."

The two guards saluted, then closed and locked the door again.

"How many prisoners will you feed to Dmitri?" Cedric asked.

"As many as there are in the dungeons," said Phobos, "I definitely want our friend to be at his best when he faces both The Guardians and the Keyblade Wielders."

"I don't suppose you actually intend to uphold your end of the bargain?" Nikolai asked, "that you will allow Dmitri to leave."

"Of course I have no intention of allowing Dmitri to leave!" said Phobos, "but I do expect him to keep his word and destroy our enemies. He has no choice but to believe that I will keep my word, but he will surely turn on me once he has devoured the life energy of The Guardians.

"That is why it is imperative that we find and recover Elyon at once. Only with her power will I be strong enough to contain Dmitri again, contain and destroy, for I believe that our 'friendship' has finally come to an end."

"A wise decision, Prince Phobos," said Cedric.

"And I have another wise decision," said Phobos, "Cedric, take The Tracker and Frost the Hunter. You have only one purpose now; find Elyon and bring her back to me. Do so and I will reward you with power beyond your wildest dreams. Fail and you will wish I had never changed you from that pathetic, crawling creature I discovered long ago!"

"Elyon is as good as found, my prince," said Cedric as he bowed.

"It's coming to a head soon," said Nikolai to himself, "the question is, whose head will be held high, and whose head will roll?"

**The end of chapter 8.**

Next chapter, it all comes together as the final battle against the tyranny of Phobos begins. Reviews will be rewarded with cake and pie. See you next time!


	9. Chapter 9: The Clash of Siblings

Last time our heroes decided that the best way to save Elyon was to get her away from Phobos, in short, to kidnap her. While our heroes were planning how to accomplish this, Nikolai reported to Maleficent the fact that Konrad and Erika were dead, and that Reddik and Rakel had fled. The mistress of all evil, to say the least, was not pleased.

A strike team consisting of Sora, Riku, Aiden, Ranma, Tess and Caleb, infiltrated the castle to capture Elyon. Said princess, at the same time, discovered a hidden passageway that lead directly to the imprisoned Wamphyri Dmitri. It was from the undead creature that Elyon heard just how evil Phobos was. Denying it, Elyon fled back to the castle proper and ran into Riku and the others. After a brief struggle, our heroes took Elyon out of the castle, while gaining Katarina as a hitchhiker.

One thing lead to another, resulting in Tess shocking Elyon into hearing the truth. Will and her friends finally convinced Elyon of what was truth and what was lie. At the same time, Tess resolved to let go of her painful past and move onto a brighter future, which resulted in her getting her own Keyblade.

Back at the castle, Phobos resolved to let Dmitir out of his cell so he could destroy our heroes and allies. 'Nuff said, on with the show!

**Chapter 9: The Clash of Siblings**

After making sure that the cost was clear, Sora, as well as Riku, Kairi, Aiden, Donald, Goofy, Ranma, along with Will, Irma, Taranee, Cornelia, Hay Lin, Matt and Caleb, followed Tess out of the underground chamber and up to the streets of Meridian, where they showed Elyon the state of things up there. They carefully walked from the entrance to the tunnel through the streets and stopped in the middle of an empty square that once served as a marketplace and where speeches could be delivered.

"Good god!" exclaimed Elyon as she saw Meridian for real for the first time, seeing the dilapidated medieval buildings and filthy streets under the gloomy overcast sky, as well as the giant, magic-draining, thorn-covered vines throughout the city, "this…my brother…just how big of a monster is Phobos?"

"I'd say he's a mix of a whole bunch of slasher villains and historical baddies," said Irma, "add Jack the Ripper and you're only half way there."

Elyon then saw the black castle where Phobos had kept her in a state of blissful oblivion, "that's what the castle really looks like? Is there any humanity in Phobos at all?"

"As far as we can tell," said Sora, "not even a drop."

"Phobos did all of this," said Will, "just to satisfy his insane lust for magic."

"Those huge, thorny vines are sucking the magic out of the world," said Taranee as she indicated a nearby vine, "from what we heard, Metamore was one a civilization not all that different from our world; primative in some ways, but more advanced in others."

"But that jerk Phobos ruined everything," said Hay Lin, while an irate Cornelia kicked one of the vines, her Earth-aligned magic causing the cursed vine to break, "and now he wants to ruin the rest of the universe!"

"But we're not going to let that happen," said Cornelia, "Elyon, you're the rightful heir to the throne. You have what it takes to make things right on this world. You can bring the magic back to where it belongs."

"You really think I'm up to it?" Elyon asked, "how can I be queen of a ruined world when I can't even be in control of my own mind and heart? I'll bet that most of the people think that I'm nothing but a pawn of Phobos."

"Well then you'll just have to prove them wrong," said Cornelia, while Will and the others nodded in agreement. "I'll bet that if you gave it a shot, you'd be a great queen, Elyon."

Elyon sighed with grim acceptance, "this isn't hopeless. I can fix this, somehow. I can set things right in this word for everyone."

"How are you going to do that?" Sora asked.

"I don't know yet," said Elyon, "right now I'm kinda making things up as they go along. I'll probably figure out each problem as they come at me, but first thing's first; take down my so called brother."

"You know what that means," said Aiden, "we're going to have to come up with a plan to storm the castle."

"I know all the ways in and out," said Tess, "I can get the rebels inside without Phobos ever knowing it."

"Or we could just wait out here for him to find us," said Kairi, "that way he'll be sure to come to us."

"That's just stupid," said Caleb, "there's no way Phobos is going to get off his high horse and come to us."

Just then our heroes and allies found themselves surrounded by a horde of Heartless, Nobodies and enemy soldiers.

"You were saying?" Kairi remarked at Caleb.

At the front ranks of the enemy horde were two individuals who were clearly upper level minions of Phobos. One looked to be a humanoid barbarian riding a rhinoceros-like creature. He carried a large spear.

"Frost the Hunter," said Caleb, "one of Phobo's top enforcers."

"An old playmate of mine from my vengeance days," said Tess, "he could hunt down anything, but he could never come close to catching me."

"Who's the other guy?" Riku asked, "the one who looks like he should be a zombie."

The other individual was tall and thin, with sickly-looking skin stretched across his bones. He wore a dark coat and hat and had dark red eyes. Wrapped around him was a green-glowing chain weapon that had a spiked end. At his sides were two emaciated demonic hunting hounds.

"The Tracker," said Tess, "another playmate of mine. He also tried to find me, but I always gave that bony bastard the slip."

From the throngs of Heartless then stepped Phobos, who was flanked by Cedric, Nikolai and Miranda. The usurping prince seemed delighted and relieved to see Elyon unharmed, but his emotions were only skin deep.

"My dear sister!" said a smiling Phobos, "I'm so glad that these ruffians and anarchists haven't harmed you. Please come and stand with me, then we can destroy these vermin once and for all!"

Elyon stood where she was with her arms folded, an her face set with anger, "I'm not going anywhere with you, Phobos, not now, not ever."

"It would seem that the game is indeed over," said Nikolai to Phobos, "she's no longer under your thumb."

"No," Phobos whispered angrily, "not now, not when I am so close to victory!" he then adopted a kinder, more concerned expression, "whatever the rebels and Guardians have told you, Elyon, they are all lies meant to confuse and eventually destroy you. Haven't I always been honest with you about everything? Surely you trust your own brother more than these anarchy-mongers?"

"I trust my friends a hell of a lot more than I trust you!" snapped Elyon, "I know you only pretended to care about me in order to steal my powers and turn me into a flower for your sick garden!"

"That's a lie!" snapped Phobos, "I am your brother! Why would I ever even think of such a thing?"

"We may be of the same blood," said Elyon, "but you are not my brother! You never were and you never will be my brother, Phobos!"

"We told her everything!" said Will, "for the first time in a long time, Elyon knows the real truth."

"You though you could poison her mind and heart with your sick lies," said Cornelia, "that you could turn her against her friends, against those who love her."

"Well you're wrong, jerk!" said Hay Lin. She then pulled down her left eyelid and stuck out her tongue at Phobos, while Irma also stuck out her tongue.

"I'm done being your pawn in your disgusting games, Phobos," said Elyon, "and it's time you answered for all your crimes!"

Sora and the others could tell that, judging from Phobos' outraged expression, that he had just realized that he had indeed lost his hold on Elyon, that any whammy he had on her was broken for good. He looked like he was just one step away from completely going berserk with rage and hate. But then he regained his composure somewhat.

"So, you know the truth," said Phobos in a vicious but controlled tone, "it makes little difference. Before this day is out I will have what I want, all of it."

"You're nuttier than a fruitcake!" said Cornelia, "you're not getting Elyons' powers!"

"She's the rightful heir to the throne, Phobos!" said Caleb, "it's her birthright, and you have no right to deny it to her!"

"I have every right!" snapped Phobos, "as if I have to explain myself to a filthy rebel!"

"You don't have the right!" said Elyon, "Metamore has always been ruled by queens, always!"

"That's because no male member of the royal family has ever had the strength, the nerve and the ambition, to take what should be his!" said Phobos in a slightly deranged tone as he began to lose his composure, "I am the eldest child! I should be the heir, not you, you stupid brat! If you hadn't been born I would be this world's king."

"Oh you're the king alright," said Elyon, "the king of insanity! Just look around, Phobos! Look at what you've done! You've devastated this world and its people! You actually think you could be king of all of this?"

"No, not this," said Phobos, a mad glint in his eye, "not just Metamore, this world means nothing to me now. I intend not to be king of a ruined world, but of the entire cosmos! With all of your powers at my command I would have had the strength to break free of The Veil and travel to other worlds! I would have had the power to make those worlds mine. Then I would be not just king of one world, but all worlds, of all universes, of all time and space!"

"In your own mind, you crazy bastard," said Elyon in a grave tone, "I don't know if I have what it takes to be queen, but one thing is absolutely certain, you have to be stopped before you ruin anything else with your sick desires."

"And you actually think you can stop me?" Phobos asked in a mocking tone, "you, who didn't even knew that magic existed until I revealed it to you? I've taught you everything you know, little sister, I know every move you'll make before you make it."

"There's a lot about me that you don't know," said Elyon, "like how mad I can get. I won't say this again, Phobos. Step down and I'll spare your life."

At that Phobos laughed cruelly, "as if you could kill me!"

"Maybe not," said Elyon, "but there's a lot of angry rebels that are itching to hang, draw and quarter you."

"I'll deal with those trouble making pests soon enough," said Phobos.

"Oh wait," said Caleb, "there's still the large number of your own minions who have had enough of your insanity, Phobos!"

As if a signal had gone out, a large number of the soldiers with Phobos suddenly walked over to the rebels. They had all tied yellow bandanas to their arms, yellow the same shade as Elyon's hair.

"We're with you and the others, my queen," said one of the soldiers as they all bowed before Elyon.

"Uh…thank you," said Elyon hesitantly.

"Good to have you with us, Tynar," said Caleb.

"My men and I are ready to fight for our freedom and dignity," said the soldier, Tynar, "and it's all thanks to The Guardians."

"We're just glad we made a difference," said Will, while Cornelia and the others nodded in agreement.

"You miserable traitors!" snapped Phobos, "I will have your heads for this!"

"I'd say he's rapidly losing control of everything," said Nikolai to Cedric, "but that is just my opinion."

"If you were wissse," hissed Cedric, "you'd keep your opinionsss to yourssself."

"I'll say it again, Phobos," said Elyon, "step down and you won't die today. Keep this madness up and I can't be held responsible for what'll happen once Caleb and his friends get their hands on you."

"And I will say it again," snapped Phobos, "I will deal with those troublemakers in due time," he then glared at Tynar and his soldiers, "and you traitors as well," he then glared at Will and her friends, "and you meddling Guardians," he then glared at Sora and his group, "and you meddling brats as well!"

Phobos then pointed at Elyon, "you will give me your powers, Elyon. It's a shame that you're going to have to suffer in the process. I would have made it so that during the power transfer ritual you wouldn't feel any pain. It would have been like falling asleep."

"Another lie!" said Hay Lin, "your Book of Secrets said that you were going to make Elyon suffer regardless!"

"Can't you say anything that isn't a lie?" Elyon asked, "isn't there a scrap, an ounce of truth in you? Isn't any part of you human?"

"This much is true," said Phobos, "I always get what I want, one way or another."

"Then let's settle it here and now!" said Elyon, "just you and me. No one else has to get hurt."

"Is this an official challenge?" Phobos asked, "a duel for the throne of Metamore?"

"If that's how you want it," said Elyon, "then yes, a duel."

"Don't!" said Cornelia, "if you play things his way he'll cheat and blow you away!"

"He's got to cheat in order to win," said Sora, "Villains like him always cheat! It's the only way they can win."

"This horde is nothing," said Riku, indicating the throngs of enemy soldiers, Heartless and Nobodies, "we've faced greater odds."

"We can take out all these Heartless, Nobodies and other goons without a hitch," said Ranma, while Kairi, Aiden, Donald and Goofy nodded in agreement.

"Save some for us," said Will.

"You don't expect us to just hang around and look pretty, do you?" Irma asked, "except for Corney here."

"Just make sure you don't get in my way, Irmy," Cornelia teased back.

"We're just here to kick evil butt," said Hay Lin, while Taranee nodded in agreement.

"Good luck to you," Katarina as she walked up to our heroes, "you're gonna need it."

"How'd you get up here?" Aiden asked, "we left you tied up!"

"As if a bunch of silly ropes could hold me back," said a smiling Katarina.

"That stupid dipstick!" snapped Nikolai, "I'm going to wring her neck out!" he abruptly shoved his way past Phobos, crossed the square and approached our heroes, "excuse me, would you mind getting the gods-damned hell out of my way? I have an idiot to scold!"

"Oh crap," said a slightly nervous but more than a little annoyed Katarina, "here it comes now. So what is it this time, Nikolai? Just what did I do to screw up all your complicated plans that you made to make you look good in front of Maleficent?"

"Maleficent has nothing to do with this," said Nikolai, "your being here in the first place hardly had any effect on the outcome of this mission. But you, you're always getting yourself in trouble!"

"I haven't gotten in trouble in a long time!" snapped an outraged Katarina, "not since we joined with Maleficent."

"I'm talking about before, you imbecile!" said Nikolai, "you may be one of the most powerful Hakonians, but your knack for stupidity certainly balances out your physical strengths. You always screwed up as a child and in your young adult years. I'm surprised Maleficent even allowed you to join her cabal in light of your past 'exploits!'"

"What's he talking about?" Elyon asked.

"I didn't tell you everything about me," said a slightly uncomfortable Katarina, "I told the truth about being not as dumb as I pretended to be, and it's true that I could be the leader of the Hakonians if I wanted to be."

"You're the unofficial leader of the Hakonians?" Sora asked, "why didn't we fight you before?"

"Because it's no fun fighting you Keyblade Wielders!" whined Katarina, "look what you did to Ulrik; he's dead! And now Konrad's dead too! And what you put Erika, Rakel and Reddik through, and now Erika's also dead and the other two ran away. I know they're gone," she looked at Elyon, "that's another thing I didn't tell you, I kinda know what happens to my friends. I get a little voice in the back of my head that tells me if something happened, like one of my friends dies or is in trouble.

"And speaking of which, yes, when I was little I got into a lot of trouble, and don't ask me what kind of trouble, but let's just say that up until I was 20, I was grounded more often than not."

Katarina then glared at Nikolai, "but I'm over that now! I'm not the same hellion of a girl as I was before! Sure, I still make mistakes every now and then, who doesn't? Not you, the _oh so perfect _Nikolai who's too good for his own people!"

"Is this about the incident where our parents tried to get us to date?" Nikolai, "where you intentionally dumped an entire cherry cobbler on my head in defiance? I forgave that incited decades ago."

"Don't you dare bring up the cherry cobbler!" snapped Katarina, "you only forgave me because you threw a goblet of blood wine at me in the first place!"

"This reminds me of daytime soap operas," said Irma to Hay Lin.

"I'm on Katarina's side," said Hay Lin.

"And another thing!" said an irate Katarina, "don't think that I don't know about all the mean things you've said about me! I knew all along that you and the others called me stupid behind my back. I didn't mind, because I knew that Rakel Erika, Konrad and Reddik didn't really mean what they said, and that if I wanted to be the leader, they'd be behind me all the way.

"But you, Nikolai…you…you jerk! You really thought that I'm a total idiot and you called me all those rotten names! With the others I only pretended to be dumb so they wouldn't want to hurt me, and I knew they never meant what they said about me behind my back, but you meant every rotten thing you said! I ignored it because it wasn't worth putting up a fight. But not any more! I'm done ignoring! I'm going to put a stop to your being mean to me right now!"

"And just how are you going to do that?" Nikolai asked in a daring tone, "you're going to use that monstrous brute strength of yours? You'll never get close to me! I can kill you with a word!"

"I'm not going to fight you directly," said Katarina as she smiled mischievously, "I'm going to tell."

"What?" a confused Nikolai asked.

"That's right," said Katarina, "I'm going back to New Hollow Bastion. Our entire race has settled in the castle and city around it, including our parents. I'm going to tell my mother how mean you've been to me."

"Your mother is a powerless figurehead among our people," said Nikolai, "just like you, a pretty face with monstrous strength and nothing in her head. So what can she do against me? The most powerful dark adapt of our age group. Well? What can she do?"

"My mother has a lot of connections among our people," said Katarina, "she knows who to talk to, and she can talk to your mother."

"What!" exclaimed a shocked and slightly frightened Nikolai, "No! Don't bring my mother into this! She doesn't need to know!"

"She'll know just how mean you've been," said Katarina, "and how you got a lot of our friends killed and made some others run away!"

"Don't you dare get my mother involved in this!" snapped Nikolai.

"I'm telling!" said a grinning Karaina as she summoned a Dark Corridor and went into it.

"Don't you dare!" snapped Nikolai as he followed her into the Dark Corridor, which vanished after him.

It was as if a switch had been turned off. Without a controlling ring to hold their wills at bay, all the assembled Nobodies turned on the gathered Heartless and began destroying them. But there were a lot more Heartless than Nobodies. Despite the superior power of the hollow creatures, the creatures of darkness soon overwhelmed them and before everyone watching knew it, every last Nobody in the square had been destroyed. The number of Heartless had decreased as well, but not by much.

"Well that was unexpected," said Aiden.

"Not really," said Roxas, "Nobodies and Heartless never liked each other to begin with. But, yes, it was surprising."

"And convenient," said Riku as he looked at the Nobody-less horde before them.

"One less thing to worry about," said Will.

"Still think you can have it all, Phobos?" Irma asked.

"It's over, Phobos," said Elyon, "you can't win."

"I've already won!" Phobos exclaimed, "I've already sowed the seeds of my victory! Dmitri!"

From the ranks of Heartless emerged a hooded figure. It looked up at the heavily overcast sky and pulled his hood down, revealing an face twisted with bat and wolf features and glowing red eyes.

"It's so nice to be out in the open air again," said the Wamphyri, "even us creatures of the night need to breathe."

"You'll receive all the fresh air you desire," said Phobos, "just so long as you remembered your promise. I sacrificed enough prisoners to get you back to full strength, so you had better make it worth it."

"I'll keep my end of the bargain," said Dmitry. He then looked across the square at Elyon, "ahh, the wayward princess. We meet again."

"Is that…?" Sora asked.

"That's the Wamphyri," said Elyon as she glared at Dmitri, yet her eyes betrayed a hint of terror, "that thing taught Phobos how to suck magic out of the world."

"And now he wants to take our magic," said Hay Lin.

"And our lives, but that would be overkill," said Irma.

"This is just what the other Sora warned us about," said Will, "no matter what happens, don't let that thing touch us, or it's over!"

"We have to cut it's head off somehow!" said Taranee, "and then burn it, all of it!"

"So you brats know about Wamphyri," said Dmitri in a taunting manner, "it doesn't matter. I'll have you as my playthings soon enough."

"Dream on, creep!" said Cornelia, "in case you've forgotten, we've got wings!"

"We'll fly circles around you, jerk-face!" said Irma.

At that Dmitri laughed cruelly, "your faith in your own abilities is highly dubious. Allow me to show you the means of your own undoing!" He threw off his cloak, revealing a heavily muscled body that was completely covered in coarse black and brown fur.

"Ugg!" said a disgusted Hay Lin.

"Haven't you ever heard of a barber?" Irma asked, "or at least a razor?"

Dmitri responded by growling loudly as two…things…grew out of his back. These new appendages of pseudo-flesh lengthened and expanded into large, bat-like wings. A second pair of arms also emerged from his torso, arms that ended in large claws, while spikes erupted across the body. A long tail also emerged that also ended in spikes.

"Witness the power of the Wamphyri!" exclaimed Dmitri.

"Okay, we're screwed," said Cornelia.

"No we're not!" said Will defiantly, "we're still in this! We can beat this creep!"

"I'm sure you'll try," said Dmitri, "I'm sure you'll do your best, but your best just won't be good enough!"

"We'll see about that!" said Hay Lin. All five Guardians then took flight and rushed at Dmitry, while the undead creature also rose into the air and rushed at them, they met in the air over the middle of the square.

"Who's got the Pixy Dust?" Kairi asked anxiously, "we've got to help them!"

"I think we've got problems of our own!" said Aiden. The hordes of Heartless then charged at our heroes.

"It's never easy, is it?" Kairi asked as our heroes summoned their Keyblades and met the onrushing attack.

"What do I do?" Tess asked frantically. She had her Keyblade out, but she looked as if she had no idea how to use it.

"Just let your instincts take over," said Riku, "It'll come to you!" The first wave of Heartless reached them. Riku saw that Tess was able to hold her own against a Neo Shadow and destroy it. "You're a natural!"

"Is it always this dangerous?" Tess asked as she destroyed another Neo Shadow, "and exciting?" she ginned eagerly.

"Always!" said a smiling Riku.

During the fight, Sora and the others glimpsed the fight between The Guardians and Dmitri, yet there were too many Heartless for our heroes to look up and tell who was winning the aerial battle.

But then the tide turned when the thousands of rebels poured into the streets and attacked the hordes of Heartless from the rear, reducing the pressure of our friends by a significant amount, at the same time Tynar and his soldiers held off the soldiers who were still loyal to Phobos.

But then Phobo's upper-level minions attacked. Cedric slithered over to either bite or crush our heroes, while Miranda had become a large spider creature.

"I'll take fang-face!" shouted Roxas as he rushed at Cedric.

"I'll take you, brat!" snapped Cedric, "I'll ssswallow you whole!"

"Come get some!" shouted Roxas. Cedric roared and lunged at him. Roxas dodged the snapping fangs and constricting coils. He then struck back with a Blizzard and Thunder spell, then delivered a cross cut with his two Keyblades. But Cedric took the attacks and struck back again.

Kairi found herself facing the spider creature that was Miranda. She barely avoided getting sprayed with webbing goo that the spider creature spat at her.

"Just how many gross creatures are on this world, anyway!" Kairi asked as she dodged another webbing glob.

"Quite a few!" said Miranda, she then tried to pounce on Kairi, but Kairi rolled out of the way, "some more disgusting than I am."

"Remind me never to meet them!" said Kairi as she threw a Strike Raid at Miranda, but the spider creature jumped out of the way.

Sora tried to help, but he found himself having to fend off the emaciated hounds of The Tracker. He barely noticed Riku dueling with Frost the Hunter as he narrowly avoided being bitten by one of the demon hounds.

Aiden helped Sora by transmuted the ground under the demon dogs into spikes, impaling the vile creatures. He and Sora then faced the demonic Tracker.

The creature unwound its green chain and threw it at them like a whip. The dark magic of the chain blasted part of the ground apart.

"I think it's a bad idea to let that thing touch us!" said Aiden as he barely avoided the spiked end of the chain.

"What made you think that?" Sora asked as he blocked the spiked end with his Keyblade. He then cast Thunder and forced The Tracker to drop the chain.

But then the demonic creature opened it's coat, producing a swarm of demonic-looking bats that circled Sora and Aiden. It was all they could do to avoid being scratched and bitten to death.

But then Ranma jumped in and destroyed all the bats with his Kachu Tenshin Amaguriken.

"Thanks," said Sora and he and Aiden blasted The Tracker, knocking the vile creature out.

"Any time," said Ranma, "let's go help the others."

"I think Riku's alright," said Aiden. Sure enough, Riku was easily dueling the spear-wielding barbarian and didn't look like he needed any assistance.

"Your skin will look good as a trophy, boy!" snapped Frost as he tried to skewer Riku.

"I like my skin the way it is," said Riku as he blocked the spear.

Just then Ranma was hit by a water balloon. Soaked in cold water, he instantly turned into Ranma-Chan.

"Prepare to die, Saotome!" shouted Pantyhose Taro as he threw aside some random Heartless in order to get to Ranma-Chan.

"I wondered when you'd show up, nylon freak!" shouted Ranma-Chan as she assumed her fighting stance.

"This is the end of you, cross-dresser," said an irate Pantyhose Taro, "to hell with Maleficent! I'm killing you hear and now!" He rushed at her and attacked. It was clear from the start that, now that Ranma was in her girl from, the dark martial artist had the advantage in strength. Yet Ranma-Chan still had her speed and defensive power.

"People have been trying to kill me for quite a while now," said Ranma-Chan as she blocked his attacked, then struck back with attacks of her own, "what makes you so sure you can do it?"

"Because I hate you more than all the other people who hate you!" snapped Pantyhose Taro, "you and your so called honor, your pathetic beliefs that martial arts should be used only for self defense and to protect those who need protecting. Well you're wrong! Martial arts is about power, it always has been and always will be!"

"You're sick in the head, man," said Ranma-Chan, "you've been crazy ever since the old geezer gave you that stupid name! Wait, if you kill me, won't Maleficent be angry enough to deny you your new name? If she's got Happosai, then she can let him go!"

"I'll think of a way to make my idiot godfather change my name," said Pantyhose Taro, "after I've destroyed you once and for all!" he pulled out another water balloon and broke it on his head. Soaked in cold water, he immediately transformed into the monstrous chimera that was a cross between a yeti, a bull, an eel, a crane and an octopus.

"Oh crap!" said Sora, "that is one big monster!"

"He's just another Heartless!" shouted Ranma-Chan, "come to think of it, I don't think he ever had a heart to begin with!"

The chimera that was Pantyhose Taro roared with fury and attacked, reaching out with its yeti hands to crush both Ranma-Chan and Sora. But Aiden transmuted the ground underneath one bull hoof into one big spike, impaling its left rear foot.

Roaring in agony and rage, Pantyhose Taro pulled out the spike and threw it at Aiden. He blocked it with his Keyblade, then had to dodge an octopus tentacle.

"Remind me again why this guy is like this?" Aiden asked as he dodged more octopus tentacles.

"It's because Happosai is an idiot as well as a pervert!" shouted Ranma-Chan as she jumped and kicked one of the tentacles, breaking it.

Just then Frost shot over Sora's head and hit Pantyhose Taro in the side, while Miranda hit the giant chimera on the other side.

"Looks like you guys need some help," said Riku as he and Kairi ran over.

"How were your fights?" Sora asked.

"Not too bad," said Kairi, "I would have liked a big boot, but Keyblades are just as good as squashing spider creatures."

"That thing isn't going to stop so easily," said Tess as she ran over, followed by Donald and Goofy, "and where have you two been?"

"Slaying Heartless," said Goofy.

"Where have you been?" Donald asked.

"Same as you," said Tess, "wait, I've got an idea. Ranma, go help Roxas beat Cedric, we're going to need old fang face for this."

"What?" Ranma-Chan asked, "oh never mind, I'm in no mood to argue." She ran over to where Roxas was holding his own against Cedric.

"You're taking the fact that Ranma turns into a girl rather well," said Sora to Tess.

"It made my skin crawl the first time I saw him change," said Aiden.

"After all the insanity I've been through," said Tess, "nothing surprises me now."

"Oh you'll be surprised soon enough," said Riku, "out there among the worlds."

"You mean, I…I can come with you?" Tess asked in a hopeful tone. Just then they all had to avoid the rampaging Pantyhose Taro.

"Can't we just hit this creep with hot water?" exclaimed Kairi.

"I was going to get to that eventually!" said Tess, "but then, does anyone have any hot water?"

"No," said Sora, "but we've got this. Donald! Double Blizzard!"

"Right!" said Donald. He and Sora then used their spells to create a lot of ice.

"Goofy, I need you to sling that ice at tall, dark and gruesome!" said Tess, "and then Sora and Donald will blast the ice into hot steam!"

"Okay!" said Goofy. He scooped the ice up into his shield and threw it at Pantyhose Taro. The shield hit the chimera in the chest and left the ice on his fur.

"Now!" shouted Sora as he and Donald cast Fire at the ice, instantly melting it into steam and some hot water. It was enough to turn him back into his human form.

"You bastards!" spat Pantyhose Taro, "I'll kill you for this!"

"I don't think so!" said a smiling Tess.

Just then Pantyhose Taro noticed a large shadow over his head, a shadow that was being cast by Cedric, who had been thrown at him.

"Oh crap!" spat Pantyhose Taro, just before Cedric crushed him.

"How'd that happen?" Caleb asked as he and Matt ran up to them.

"We did it," said Roxas as he and Ranma-Chan ran over. "Individually that snake creep is really hard to beat, but with teamwork, easy as Sea Salt Ice-cream."

"Where were you two?" Ranma-Chan asked Matt and Caleb.

"Killing Heartless," said Matt.

"Things are just about wrapped up," said Caleb, "my men and Tynar's men have things handled with The Heartless."

Sora looked around and saw that indeed the rebels and defected soldiers were taking care of The Heartless. As the tide of the battle turned in our heroe's favor, more and more of the soldiers loyal to Cedric switched sides and began fighting against The Heartless and those who still stood with Phobos. Soon those who wished for freedom soon outweighed those still crazy enough to side with the mad prince.

"They're fighting for their lives and freedom," said Riku, "it gives strength to their hearts."

"But what about Will and the others?" Matt asked, "and Elyon?"

Our heroes looked across the square and saw that Elyon and Phobos were locked in a serious spell slinging battle and from what Sora and the others could tell, no winner was in sight.

Sora and the others then looked up and saw Will and the other Guardians barely able to hold their own against Dmitri. Despite being outnumbered five to one, the undead creature was still faster and stronger than the girls.

Even with the powers of the elements at their command, especially with Taranee being able to wield fire, Dmitri was just too fast for them to hit with their powers.

"This is what the other Sora warned us about," said Kairi, "if we don't do something, then Will and the others are going to get killed!"

"What did Yan Lin say was effective against Wamphyri?" Sora asked.

"Silver," said Kairi.

"I can easily make silver," said Aiden, "I can also use Alchemy to make a silver-plated sword."

"And I've got the Pixy Dust," said Riku as he pulled out said bag, "I had it in my pocket the whole time," he looked at Caleb and Matt, "how do you feel about flying?"

"Umm…not me," said a slightly nervous Matt, "not that I don't want to help Will and the others, but…"

"I'll do it," said Caleb as he handed his sword to Aiden, who then transmuted some nearby trash into silver. "I want to help Cornelia."

"Good," said Riku as he sprinkled some Pixy Dust onto Caleb, "just remember to keep thinking happy thoughts."

"Otherwise you'll fall like a rock," said Aiden as he finished transmuting the silver onto Caleb's sword.

"Right," said Caleb as he took back his sword, "happy thoughts. I've got it!" he then swiftly flew up towards the aerial battle and tried to cut Dmitris' head off. He missed but his sudden attack forced the Wamphyri to fly off and regroup.

"How'd you get up here?" a surprised Irma asked.

"With a little help from our otherworldly friends," said Caleb, "and from you girls," he then looked at Cornelia, "especially you. You're my happy thought, Cornelia."

At that Cornelia blushed heavily, but then she smiled, "and you're my happy thought, Caleb. I guess we're the wind beneath each others wings."

"I thought that was my job," said Hay Lin.

"Uh…people!" said a nervous Taranee, "guess who's back?"

"And madder than a wet hen!" said Will as they all avoided the claws of Dmitri. But then Dmitri delivered a backhand strike to Caleb's shoulder, breaking it. He almost dropped his sword but caught it with his good hand.

"You miserable humans!" snapped the irate Dmitri, "I'll turn you all into mindless vampire slaves!" He then sensed something behind him and dodged a Strike Raid thrown by Kairi.

"That's what you think, creep!" shouted a flying Kairi as she caught her Keyblade. Riku and Sora soon joined her in the air.

"Take this!" shouted Aiden as he threw his Keyblade at Dmitri, but the Wamphyri simply caught it.

"Is that the best you can do, little boy?" Dmitri asked in a taunting manner.

"That's not what your mother said last night!" said Aiden in an equally taunting manner as he called his Keyblade back from Dmitri's hands.

But then Sora remembered the other weakness of the Wamphyri. He aimed his Keyblade at the clouds above and shot a bolt of magic. The bolt exploded high up and broke apart the clouds, allowing a large shaft of sunlight to shine down on our heroes and allies, as well as the undead creature.

Dmitri howled in agony as the scorching rays of light seared his vampiric flesh. With his concentration broken, he fell to the ground.

Our heroes landed nearby, just as the clouds closed up the hole and plunging the square into dimness again.

"He's not going to be down for long," said Will.

"Of course!" said Aiden, "why didn't I try this before! I've got the transmutation formulae in my head!" he then focused his alchemy on his Keyblade and before everyone's eyes it changed into an elaborately crafted crossbow.

"How'd you do that?" an amazed Taranee asked.

"They don't call me The Keyblade Alchemist for nothing," said Aiden.

By then Dmitri had recovered enough to try and stand up. His skin was burned in several places and some spots still smoldered. He glared at our heroes and snarled. "You pathetic mortals! I cannot be defeated by cheep parlor tricks!"

"Oh shut up!" said Aiden as he aimed and fired his Crossbow Keyblade, the shaft, fortified with magic and alchemy, was on target and pierced the heart of the undead creature.

Dmitri let out a gurgling wail and collapsed to the ground. The tried to get up again, but the crossbow bolt transfixed in his heart seemed to sap the strength from his undead body.

"That takes care of The Stake," said Will, "now for The Sword."

"Sorry," said Caleb as he indicated his broken shoulder, "I can't use a sword like this."

"I'll do it," said Matt as he took Caleb's sword, "after all that I've seen, decapitating a vampire doesn't bother me at all."

"I'll take care of that shoulder in the meantime," said Kairi as she used her magic to heal Caleb.

"You fools!" snapped the impaled Dmitri, "killing me won't end your troubles. Do you think that I am the only one of my kind!"

"Not really," said Taranee, "you'd think if there was one vampire, there'd be more."

"But this guy is a Wamphyri," said Hay Lin, "they're different from the vampires we see in movies and TV."

"Good point," said Will, "but still, you'd think there'd be others."

"I am considered a lone wolf among Wamphyri," said Dmitri, "but there are others of my kind throughout existence. Across time and space there are entire worlds that have been subjugated by my fellow masters of the night. And they know that I am about to meet my doom.

"That's my special ability. I can communicate with others of my kind. Not directly, for if I could I would have been rescued long ago from those wretched chains in the castle dungeon. But I have been slowly building up my mental strength to send a final message across time and space," he closed his eyes and Sora and the others felt a slight psychic resonance coming from the undead creature, "which I just did now. Eventually my last psychic words will be heard by other Wamphyri, and they will come.

"It may take years, decades, before the others come to Metamore, but they will come, and when they come, they will make this world their own!" he then glared at Sora and his friends, "and they will also know about you, Keyblade Wielders. They will know what you did and come for you as well!"

"Oh shut up already!" said an annoyed Cornelia, "Matt, put out his lights."

"Gladly!" said Matt as he raised the silver-plated sword and brought it down, severing the head of the undead creature.

Yet even as the head shot away from the body, it still had one last thing to say, "Your days are numbered, all of you!"

"Shut up!" snapped Donald as he shot a Fireball at the head, incinerating it.

Just then something emerged from the open neck of the body, something that bore a resemblance to an eyeless red worm that had a mouth full of razor-sharp teeth.

"That's the real vampire!" said Hay Lin, "the Wamphyri parasite."

"Get it!" shouted Donald as he and Sora aimed their weapons at the Wamphyri leach. At the same time, Taranee aimed both hands at the body and shot twin flamethrower blasts, while Sora and Donald used Fire spells of their own. The undead body and parasite were both engulfed in flames, while Hay Lin used her powers to create a whirlwind around the conflagration in order to ensure that not even ashes got away.

As our heroes watched the undead creature's final moments in existence, the didn't notice that a tentacle of pseudo-flesh dug its way underneath the burning body and found a modest sized crack in the ground that lead to a tunnel in the Infinite City. The pseudo-tentacle then squeezed out a large white…thing that bore a resemblance to an amoeba, or rather, a semi-solid egg that had small black tentacles in which it used to propel itself down the tunnel until it found a small warm pool of water. There, in the darkness, the pseudo-egg settled in and waited.

* * *

"And that's that," said Sora with a sigh of relief, "everyone's still alive; we've changed the future."

"We're still not out of the woods yet," said Will. Sora and the others saw that the battle between the rebels and the defecting soldiers, against the evil soldiers and Heartless was still going on, but with the destruction of Dmitri, the enemy soldiers were losing their eagerness to fight, while fewer and fewer fresh Heartless were arriving.

"Look!" shouted Cornelia. Everyone then saw Elyon and Phobos still locked in a furious magic duel, but now Elyon was on the defensive.

"As I expected," said Phobos as he sent a vicious curse at Elyon that sent her back several paces, "what a pathetic exposition of magic from a pathetic girl. You disappoint me, little sister."

"I'm not your sister!" shouted Elyon as she sent a large white curse at Phobos, but he swatted it aside, "you are nothing to me, not a brother, not a fellow magic user, nothing!" She tried blasting Phobos again, but he blocked it.

"Didn't you hear me before?" Phobos asked in a taunting manner, "I taught you everything you know about magic." He shot a dark curse at Elyon, who barely blocked it.

Just then a several cobblestones rose out of the street and shot at Phobos; all of them missed but his concentration was broken.

"I think we know a little more about magic than you do, Phobos!" shouted Cornelia as she flew over and landed next to Elyon.

"Cornelia," said an astonished yet happy Elyon.

"You don't have to do this alone," said Cornelia, "not matter what happens, I'll always be your best friend."

"We'd be pretty lousy friends if we just sat there and watched," said Will as she, Irma, Hay Lin and Taranee landed beside Elyon.

"Oh, you guys…" said a smiling Elyon. She then glared at Phobos, "you may have experience, Phobos, but I have one thing you don't, the one thing you never had and never will; friends."

At that Phobos laughed cruelly, "so that's your secret weapon, Elyon; friends. How pathetic. You're all pathetic!"

"Oh shut up already!" snapped Irma as she and Taranee sent a double stream of fire and water at the insane prince. He blocked it with a shield spell.

"You madness ends here, jerk!" said Hay Lin as she and Cornelia sent a double stream of wind and rocks at Phobos. He was forced back several paces but his shield held.

"Time to face reality, psycho!" said Will as she added her power to the elemental blasts. By now Phobos was sweating greatly, but his defenses held.

"And if you won't face reality," said Elyon as she also added her power to the magic as well, "then you seriously need to get your head shrunken!"

"Your theory of my sanity is highly imaginable!" said a viciously grinning Phobos, "I cannot be defeated!"

"Let us assist you, Prince Phobos!" said Miranda as she and Cedric scampered and slithered over.

"Just give the order," hissed Phobos, "and the Guardianss will die!"

"That they will," said Phobos, "but not by your hand!" He then activated some hidden spell that sucked out all the magical energy out of Miranda, reducing her to a normal-sized spider native to Metamore.

"Prince Phobosss!" exclaimed a shocked Cedric.

"You pathetic excuses for minions have failed me for the last time!" shouted Phobos. He then activated another hidden spell and took all of Cedric's magical energy, reducing him to a regular-sized snake that just happened to have a face and tiny arms. The snake-think and the spider then scurried out of harms way.

"Your own comrades!" said a shocked and outraged Sora, "and you…you…wait, what's the word i'm looking for?"

"He cannibalized them!" said an extremely irate Kairi

"Yeah, that's what I wanted to say," said Sora.

"The bastard!" snapped Tess, "he _i_s a monster!"

"Not a monster!" exclaimed Phobos as he intensified his magical attack on Elyon and her friends, forcing them back, "a king! An emperor! A god!"

"You're a freaking psychopath!" said Taranee, "what you need is to be locked up!"

"You can't beat us, Phobos!" said Elyon, "even if you take all the magic in the universe, you still can't beat us!"

"And we're going to prove it!" shouted Will. She, the other Guardians and Elyon all poured their hearts into their magic and shot a massive bolt of energy at Phobos powerful enough to break through his shield and forced him to the ground.

"No!" exclaimed Phobos, "how can this be! How can I lose to a mere children!"

"It's a lot of things, Phobos," said Will as she and the others walked over, "not only is righteous and justice on Elyon's side, she also has us with her to give strength to her heart!"

"As her friends, we fill Elyon's heart with light," said Cornelia, "and other good feelings."

"We're there for each other when we need each other," said Taranee, "in good times and bad."

"Elyon fills our hears with light," Irma, "and we fill her heart with light as well. It's a beautiful cycle!"

"And the power of a heart full of light is infinite!" shouted Hay Lin.

"Truer words couldn't have been said," remarked Kairi, while Sora, Riku, Aiden, Donald, Goofy and Tess nodded in agreement.

"You've lost, Phobos," said Elyon in a serious tone, "you've gambled with the darkness and have lost. Now you've got to pay the price for all that you've done."

"And just what are you going to do?" Phobos asked in a daring tone, "kill me? You don't have what it takes!"

"I'd very much like to destroy you for what you've done," said Elyon with grim determination, "but enough blood has been spilt already on your behalf. I don't want to add any more, even if it is your blood that's shed."

"Then what are you going to do with me?" Phobos asked, "send me away? Lock me up? There's not fate that you can inflict on me that I cannot overcome and return for vengeance!"

Sora and the others could tell that the usurping prince had one last dirty trick up his sleeve, and he did have one, literally up his sleeve. From beneath his robes he pulled out a cursed knife that had a poisoned blade, and he threw it at Elyon.

But then Ranma got in front of Elyon and caught the knife with his bare hands. The blade had cut his hands somewhat, but he seemed alright.

"Impossible!" snapped Phobos, "that was the most lethal poison in Metamore! You should have died on the spot!'

"Listen, jerk-face," said Ranma as he threw the knife down and used a handkerchief as a bandage on his hand, "my friends poisoned me enough times back home that I'm immune to almost anything, and that's saying something. So you can take your poisons and shove it!"

"No more games, Phobos," said Elyon grimly, "it's time you paid for your crimes!"

"Then kill me already!" snapped Phobos, "Kill me, Elyon, just like I killed our mother!"

"I said I wouldn't kill you," said Elyon, "even for the death of our mom; not that you don't deserve it, but death is too good for you. You need to be punished in a different way, and there's only one punishment that I can think of that's truly fitting. You did all that you did for power, so I'm going to do to you the worst thing that can happen to you! I'm going to take your powers away, forever!"

"What!" exclaimed Phobos with outrage and terror, clearly Elyon's words had struck a serious nerve, "No! You can't! My powers are my own and you can't take them from me!"

"I can and I shall!" said Elyon with grim determination, "you abused magic, Phobos, therefore, magic shall no longer obey you!"

Sora and the others could sense that Elyon was doing…something. They couldn't tell if it was magic or something else, but whatever it was, it was truly powerful.

"You've abused your powers, Phobos!" shouted Elyon, "so never again will you use magic or any power for your own insane desires! Phobos, I decree that your powers are hereby revoked, now and forever!"

Our heroes then heard, or they thought they heard, something breaking. But everything seemed to be normal,, that the insane prince was unharmed, except for one thing.

"What did you do to me!" Phobos demanded.

"I turned you into a mortal," said Elyon as she confidently crossed her ams, "you no longer have any magic or any other supernatural ability. You're just an ordinary lunatic that needs to be locked up."

Just then a startling change overcame the city and everything in it. The magic-draining vines crumbled into dust and vanished, while the streets and buildings seemed to repair themselves and sported brighter colors.

The dark clouds overhead vanished and sunlight illuminated the recovering and self-beautifying city, while the castle changed from a dark gothic theme to a brighter, more colorful tone.

The soldiers still standing also changed, all of them on both times. Their armor lost their spikes and their overall appearance became more human. The handful of Heartless still scampering about teleported out at the sudden intrusion of light.

"What just happened?" Kairi asked, "did we fix the world or something?"

"I think Elyon did it," said Sora, "Phobos was the one who plunged the world into darkness. Without his powers maintaining the darkness, the world returned to the light."

"And not a moment too soon," said Elyon as she looked around and liked what she saw.

Just then a Dark Corridor opened up. From it emerged Pete. "Looks like I missed a heck of a party!"

"What do you want?" Sora asked as everyone got ready for another fight.

"Just picking up some baggage," said Pete as he walked over to the unconscious Pantyhose Taro, "Maleficent still wants this guy, though I don't see what's the big deal. So what if he turns into a monster? I know other bad guys who do bigger, better and badder stuff."

"What are you talking about?" Sora asked cautiously.

Pete picked up Pantyhose Taro and slung him over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes, "You think you brats are so tough? Just because you beat a bunch of 50-something Hakonians? Well let me tell you punks somethin'. I met a lot more Hakonians other than those seven you know. A lot of the guys and gals I met are a lot worse than the ones you know, really worse, and the whole Hakonian race knows about you brats."

"Katarina did say that there were others," said Kairi.

"That's right," said Pete as he walked back to the Dark Corridor with his baggage, "and as soon as Maleficent chooses the ones she likes, she's gonna send them after yas. You think you've had it hard so far? You ain't seen nothin' yet! Later, losers!" laughing vicious, Pete walked into the Dark Corridor and it closed up after him.

"Am I the only one who has no idea what just happened?" Irma asked.

"You're not alone," said Will.

"We know what happened," said Riku, "and if that Pete was right, then things are going to get worse for us."

"Bring it on!" said Sora, "we'll face anything Maleficent or any other Villain throws at us! We'll beat them all!"

"And we'll do it together," said Kairi.

"Yeah, together," said Sora.

"Together," said Riku.

"Together," said both Donald and Goofy

"Together," said Tess.

"How sentimental," said an annoyed Phobos, "you fools think you acutally stand a chance against the darkness?"

"We helped beat you," said Sora, "I think we've got a good chance."

"More than a good chance," said Kairi.

"Don't make me laugh!" snapped Phobos.

Tess then abruptly walked over and punched Phobos in the face, knocking him out.

"There," said Tess as she rubbed her slightly sore fist, "I think my fathers' soul is properly avenged now."

"I thought you gave up revenge," said Naminé.

"You're right," said Tess, "that was for me. Now I'm satisfied."

"Then I think it's time we went home," said Riku, "all of us. Yes, Tess, you can come with us, if you want to."

"Of course I want to go with you," said Tess, "you guys got me involved in this mess with Keyblades and the darkness, and now these other baddies that want to kill me now. There's no way you're leaving me behind."

"We wouldn't leave you behind even if we could," said Kairi.

"Do you guys really have to leave so soon?" Irma asked, "things were just starting to get fun."

"Your idea of fun you mean," said Cornelia, "not mine."

"We can't stay any longer," said Riku, "that would be meddling."

"Actually we already did meddle in this world," said Sora, "but in a good way."

"If we hadn't come," said Aiden, "then things would have turned out for the worse, a lot worse."

"If we stay any longer," said Kairi, "We risk making things worse again."

"I understand," said Will, "but you won't stay away for long? You'll come back someday?"

"If we can," said Sora.

"Don't come back too soon," said Elyon, "I've got a lot of work to do. It'll take me a while to put Metamore back to order."

"She'll have us to help," said Cornelia, while the others nodded in agreement.

"Well if we come back and you still need help," said Sora, "you can count on us." Kairi, Riku, Aiden, Donald, Goofy and Tess all nodded in agreement.

Everyone then said their goodbyes with more promises to meet up later.

Sora and the others then stood apart from Will and her friends. Our heroes saw Matt standing with Will, while Caleb and Cornelia held hands.

"Those guys are going to be alright," said Kairi, "and I'm sure Irma, Taranee and Hay Lin are going to find their soul mates soon enough."

"They all deserve happiness," said Sora, "everyone does."

Just then the Keyblades of our heroes, including Tess', appeared in their hands and they found themselves being pulled to the center of the square.

"What now?" Tess asked nervously.

"I think we just found this world's Keyhole!" said Sora.

Sure enough a large white outline appeared in the ground of the square.

"So this is a Keyhole," said Will.

"It is a giant key hole," said Irma, "but what the heck is it?"

"It's the heart of the world," said Elyon, "I…I guess it's kind of like the world's soul."

"Exactly," said Kairi. She, Sora and Riku then combined their Keybaldes to shoot out a large beam of magic at the Keyhole. It flashed and vanished with a loud 'click.'

"What did you guys just do?" Caleb asked.

"We just sealed this world against the darkness," said Riku, "The Heartless may show up again from time to time, but they won't be able to threaten this world as seriously as they did before."

"So we're safe from the darkness," said Taranee.

"That's good," said Hay Lin, "one less thing to worry about."

Just then Ranma ran up to them, having found some hot water somewhere, "there's no more Heartless in the city, I checked."

"Then we're done here," said Riku.

"So what do I do now?" Tess asked.

"Just trust your heart," said Kairi, "you'll know what do to."

Sora, Riku, Kairi, Aiden, as well as Roxas, summoned their Keyblades again and put them together, while Tess also did the same. They summoned a portal of their own.

"Let's just hope that we don't go hopping around time and space again," said Aiden. He then walked into the portal.

"What?" a slightly nervous Tess asked.

"Just go along with it," said Riku as he held her hand, "whatever happens, we'll face it together."

"Yeah, together," said a more confident Tess. With that she and Riku walked into the portal.

"I'd have to say that this was my most bizarre adventure to date," said Ranma, "and that's saying something."

"Wait 'till you visit Atlantica," said Donald, "you'll be surprised."

"And there's also The Pride Lands," said Goofy, "an' we also have to go visit Tron again."

"That too," said Donald.

"I have no idea what you two are talking about," said Ranma as he, Donald and Goofy walked into the portal.

"You think things will ever be normal for Ranma?" Kairi asked Sora.

"I hope so," said Sora, "if anyone deserves normalcy, it's Ranma. Maybe wherever we go next, we'll find a cure for his curse."

"I hope so," said Kairi. With that they walked into the portal and it closed up after them.

**The end of chapter 9.**

Next chapter our heroes get ready for their next adventure, while one of Sora's friends prepares to go off on a different adventure. Reviews will be rewarded with cake and pie. See you next time!


	10. Ch 10: Prelude to the Next Adventure

Last time found our heroes and allies forced into a final confrontation with Phobos. One thing lead to another, resulting in Elyon severing all ties with Phobos, Katarina getting really pissed with Nikolai, which lead to the two of them going back to their world with Katarina threatening to tell on Nikolai, and all in all, Phobos defeated, with the Wamphyri Dmitri destroyed and Pantyhose Taro carried back to New Hollow Bastion like a sack of potatoes. With everything back on the right track on Metamore, our heroes bade The Guardians, Elyon and everyone else farewell. 'Nuff said, on with the show!

**Chapter 10: Prelude to the Next Adventure**

...Disney Castle...

"This is where you live?" An amazed Tess asked as our heroes emerged from the portal and found themselves in the topiary garden of Disney Castle.

"This is just one world that we can travel to in our universe," said Riku, "this world is the home of some of our friends."

"Our home isn't as cool," said Kairi, "but still home."

"My home is in a completely different universe," said Aiden, "and I can't go home until I've taken care of some pretty important business."

"Oh don't start that again," said Sora. He would have gone on more about how Aiden was being foolish in believing that his mission to find the new Princesses of Heart prevented him from going home, but Pluto bounded out into the gardens and tackled Sora.

"Like clockwork," said Roxas as Pluto showered Sora with his affections.

"You're back!" said King Mickey as he and Queen Minnie came out into the gardens.

"We did it, your majesties," said Kairi, "We rescued The Guardians, saved Elyon from the darkness and tore Phobos off of his high horse."

"And made a new friend in the process," said Naminé.

"King Mickey, Queen Minnie," said Riku, "this is Tess Thatcher. She's one of us, a Keyblade Wielder."

"Just how many of you guys are there?" Daisy asked as she walked out into the garden.

"That's a good question," said Aiden.

"Uh…hi," said Tess as she awkwardly bowed to The King and Queen, "it's…nice to meet you."

"If you're feeling overwhelmed," said Sara Lancaster as she stood at the doorway to the garden, "you're not alone."

"Sara!" said a surprised Kairi as their friend walked out into the garden.

"What are you doing here?" Sora asked.

"Learning about magic," said Sara as she shook Sora's hand, then Kairi's, then Riku's, Aiden's, Donald's and Goofy's, "The Moochick said that I could find what I need to make The Rainbow of Light whole again, and I think I've found out how to do that," she then held up a book that was in her hand, "is it okay that I borrow this, Queen Minnie?"

"Absolutely," said The Queen, "you may have that book for as long as you need."

"Speaking of books," said Sora as he handed the book that was given to him at the start of the adventure back to King Mickey, "this was really helpful, thanks."

"Any time," said The King.

"Oh, Sara," said Sora, "this is Roxas and Naminé, they're friends."

"Nice to meet you," said Naminé as she and Roxas shook Sara's hand, "in the flesh that is."

"Uh, yeah, nice to meet you too, said Sara.

Just then Sora and the others noticed that Ranma was looking at Sara as if she was the most beautiful girl in existence.

_:You don't think that…:_ said Sora to Kairi, _:that Ranma and Sara?:_

_:That they could be a couple?: _Kairi asked, :Definitely.:

_:If anyone deserves happiness,:_ said Riku, _:It's Ranma.:_

_:Definitely,: _said Aiden, _:after all the crap he's been through, he's entitled to more than his share of happiness.:_

_:It's going to take a while for us to get used to you guys being able to speak your minds,:_ said Sora to Riku and Aiden.

_:Just wait till Tess can use Telepathy,: _said Riku, _:then we'll really be a team.:_

_:There goes our privacy,: _said Roxas.

_:Don't you guys have your own private channels?: _Sora asked.

_:That's right,: _said Naminé, _:we do have our own channel.:_ at that Roxas and Naminé started their own psychic conversation that Sora and the others couldn't hear.

"Go on," said Kairi aloud to Ranma, " if you like her, talk to her."

"What do I say to her?" a nervous Ranma asked, "I'm no good with girls I like, you know that."

"Oh right," said Kairi as she remembered all the horrible times Ranma had with Akane and all his other fiancées. "Wait, I'll start things off," she walked over to Sara, "how are things in Dream Valley, Sara?"

"Quiet," said Sara, "too quiet for my liking. Trouble usually worms its way into Ponyland in one form or another, but after we rescued the Little Ponies from those demons and you guys sealed that Keyhole, there hasn't been any trouble at all, not from Heartless, demons or anything. Even the witches of the Volcano of Doom have been quiet, and they cause a boatload of trouble for my mother back in the day."

"What witches?" Aiden asked, "and what volcano? We didn't see any of that when we were there."

"It's a long story," said Sara, "let's just say that a family of dark magic users caused more mischief that my mother really liked to talk about, not all at once that is.

"But even though things are okay right now, my friends and I are convinced that things won't be okay for much longer. It's like…we can sense that something will happen, something big and terrible, and I'm afraid it's going to take everything my friends and I have to stop it, whatever it will be."

"Well if you need us," said Sora, "we'll help."

"Any time, any place," said Kairi, while Riku, Aiden, Donald and Goofy nodded in agreement.

"I may be new at this," said Tess, "but a friend of Riku and the others is a friend of mine," she held out her hand to Sara, "just say it and I'll be there to help."

"That's great," said Sara as she shook Tess' hand, then held up the book in her other hand, "but I think this is all that's needed right now."

"How are your Stands going?" Riku asked.

As if in response a spectral female warrior wearing white Greek armor appeared next to Sara, "what do you think?" she asked as she smile, while her Stand, Crystal Star, also smiled.

"Is that an actual Stand?" an intrigued Ranma asked, "I…I've heard of them, but only rumors."

"Oh she's real alright," said Sara, while Crystal Star waved at Ranma, "I should know, she's helped me out a few times."

"Cool," said Ranma.

"Very cool," said Sara, "but what about you? What's your specialty?"

At that Ranma smiled in a way that said he didn't care how Sara would react to what he was about to say, only that he got it out in the open, "I'm a really, really talented martial artist with a really, really embarrassing curse on his head."

"What sort of curse?" Sara asked curiously.

"Everywhere I go," said Ranma, "trouble is usually two steps behind me. Sometimes it's already there and I end up running into it."

"So you attract trouble," said Sara.

"Yeah," said Ranma, "I just can't help it. Also, I turn into a girl whenever I get hit with cold water."

"That's rough," said Sara. She then did a double take, "say what?"

"It's true," said Riku, while Roxas used a Blizzard spell to form an ice crystal over Ranma, then used a Fireball to melt it into cold water, soaking him into her.

"Oh real nice," said an irate Ranma-Chan as she wrung out her soaked shirttail. She then saw Sara looking at her like this was the most astounding thing in the universe. "uh… this is kinda normal for me."

At that Sara began laughing, "I'm sorry," she said between giggles, "but…that's the most ridiculous thing I've ever seen!"

"Oh," said Ranma-Chan in a tone that said that her heart had just been broken.

"I mean in a good way!" Sara said hastily, "I mean, I've seen some weird things, some good, some bad, and some things so completely unbelievable that the only way I believed it was to see it for myself."

"Talking ponies?" Kairi asked in a cheerful manner.

"That," said Sara, "not to mention Flutter Ponies, Bushwollies, Grundles and a whole world of fantastic people and creatures.

"But this," she indicated Ranma-chan, "this is a good weird thing. It's not every day you meet someone who can be two different people."

At that Kairi laughed, "we actually know someone who is two different people."

"Don't tell her about Miley," Riku whispered, "Sara's universe also has Hannah Montana. For all we know, that Hannah is a slightly different Miley. We don't want to spoil things for Sara and her friends."

"Right," whispered Kairi. She then spoke to Sara, "uh…we were talking about a superhero we met. We'd tell you all about it, but we wouldn't want to give away a secret."

"You've met a real superhero?" Sara asked, "Cool," she then looked at Ranma-Chan, "I guess you're kinda like a superhero as well if you can be two different people."

"I did use both of me in different situations," said Ranma-Chan, "some of them really embarrassing."

"You…can change back," said Sara hesitantly, "right?"

"Sure," said Ranma-Chan, "hot water turns me back into a boy." She was then splashed by hot water sent by Roxas, turning her back into a him.

"What is your problem, dude!" exclaimed Ranma as he wrung out his shirt again.

"You said you needed hot water," said Roxas innocently.

"This is really cool," said Sara, "really cool."

"I guess it is kinda cool," said Ranma. At that they both started laughing.

"You once told me about seeing the signs of true love," said Kairi to Queen Minnie, "I think I'm seeing it right now."

"Your sight is improving," said Queen Minnie, "yes, these two hearts are meant to be together. Soul mates separated by time and space, to be finally brought together by destiny."

"They just need time together in order to realize they were meant for each other," said Naminé.

"So this is kinda like another example of Wibbly-Wobbly Timey-Wimey," said Aiden.

"Exactly," said Kairi.

Just then The King walked over, a serious look on his face, "there's something you all need to know. I've been keeping this from you because I didn't want you all to worry about it."

"How bad could it be?" Sora asked, "we've faced all sorts of horrible stuff, so we can handle anything."

"You can tell us," said Riku, "what's the problem now?"

"Okay, here's the situation," said King Mickey, "for some time now, demons have been seen across the worlds. No one has been hurt, and the demons haven't stirred up any trouble, but they're here in the universe alright."

"What kind of demons?" Kairi asked.

"What kind of question is that?" Aiden asked, "judging from Tirnac, Zabuchrion and his minions, all demons are one kind; evil, pure and simple."

"True," said King Mickey, "but not all demons, evil that they may be, are all equal. You've seen how different demons are stronger than others, well the ones we've seen in the worlds are strong."

"Powerful ones," said Queen Minnie, "not as powerful as the demons you fought in Dream Valley, but powerful indeed."

"Just hang on a second," said Aiden, "when we were talking with The Moochick, he said that demons could be scaled in power by letters. Zabuchrion was 'A' class, while Tirnac as 'S', and those lesser demons, the one with elemental themes, they were like 'A-' or lower."

"Just how strong are these demons?" Sora asked.

"And how many of them are there?" Riku asked

"We're not exactly sure," sad King Mickey, "on both questions. We think there's only a few, acting as scouts for a larger group, but again, we don't know how big a group. But like I said, they haven't hurt anyone and they haven't cause any trouble. All the demons have done so far is look around for a bit and teleported out."

"Scouting missions," said Riku, "as a precursor for an invasion."

"As if the worlds have had enough trouble as it is," said Kairi.

"That one theory," said The King, "but we can't be sure of anything yet."

"There's one thing that's sure," said Sora, "if we know that there's demons looking around the worlds, then Maleficent knows as well."

"Oh, that's right," said King Mickey, "I forgot to tell you before you left for Metamore; since we can now spy on Maleficent, chances are she can spy on us as well."

"Of course she can," said Aiden in a sarcastic manner, "it wouldn't be fair if she couldn't."

"Balance of power," said Roxas, "we watch the baddies, they watch us as well."

"The only thing that can make this better is if the demons are out to cause trouble for Maleficent as well," said Naminé, "whatever their plan is."

* * *

…New Hollow Bastion…

"And the creatures were only observing events on the worlds?" Maleficent asked one of the lesser Hakonians after she read a report prepared by the Hakonian spy masters.

"It appears that the demons were only looking around," said the lesser Hakonian, "there is the offset chance that this could be just the beginning."

"You mean them demons are gonna invade?" Pete asked while still holding the unconscious Pantyhose Taro over his shoulder, "that they're gonna start a war?"

"A distinct possibility," said Maleficent as she stood up from her dark throne, "one that should be exploited if feasible. I'd be a poor mistress of all evil if I didn't attempt to use every resource available to me."

"That is true, great one," said the lesser Hakonian.

"Maintain observations on the creatures," said Maleficent, "inform me immediately if there is any change in their behavior."

"It shall be so, great one," said the lesser Hakonian. He bowed and left the room.

"You really gonna try and use them demons?" Pete asked.

"If they can be controlled then yes," said Maleficent, "if they cannot be controlled then they will be destroyed. I will not share power over the darkness with anyone."

"You're the boss lady," said Pete.

"All too true, my feebleminded friend," said Maleficent.

Just then another lesser Hakonian walked in, "great one, they are here."

"Announce them then, you fool," said Maleficent, "I am about to meet with two leading powers in your race. Show respect where respect is due."

"Yes, great one," said the lesser Hakonian, "announcing Dark Lady Marinka Heartbreaker and Dark Lady Shankina Shadowstalker."

In came two women in, apparently, their late 30's but were much older. The first was of medium height with long black hair down to her ankles and brilliantly piercing purple eyes that only completed her face that most people would describe as beyond beautiful. She wore a green and black single shoulder gown that accented her sensual figure. She had the overall appearance of someone who knew how to get exactly what she wanted.

The other woman was as different from the first as fire is from water. She was tall and had short brown hair with hazel eyes behind heavy glasses. She wore orange and black sorcery robe and carried a black staff carved with silver runes.

"Maleficent," said the Hakonain sorceress, Shankina Shadowstalker, "first of all, I humbly apologize for the behavior my son exhibited. There is no excuse for his shameful actions he committed on the mission you assigned to him."

"Well he wouldn't have done those things if your brat didn't harass my daughter," said the Hakonian femme fatale, Marinka Heartbreaker, "my Katarina may have her faults, but your Nikolai had no right to take advantage of her."

"You're acting as if my son has actually mistreated your daughter," said Shankina in an irate tone, "Which he didn't! But I wouldn't be surprised if he thought about it, considering how shamelessly your daughter has been flaunting herself."

"Are you accusing my daughter of being easy?" Marinka demanded.

"No," said Shankina, "I'm accusing your daughter of being a complete whore!"

"Say that again!" demanded an angry Marinka, "and I'll rip you in half!"

"And I'll destroy you with a word!" snapped Shankina as she aimed her staff at the Hakonian femme fatal.

"Silence!" snapped Maleficent, "this is about your children abandoning their mission for selfish reasons, not to accuse each other of raising delinquents."

"Of course, great one," said Shankina as she bowed respectfully.

"Of course," Marinka said reluctantly. But the two Hakonian women angrily glared at each other out of the corner of their eyes.

"Now," said Maleficent, "let us hear from the guilty parties directly."

Four lesser Hakonians escorted Nikolai and Katarina into the room, "great one!" Nikolai said immediately in a placating manner, "I have failed you. I was on the verge of destroying The Keyblade Wielders, and The Guardians of the Veil as well. The mission was going according to plan, but several factors interfered in my victory," he glared at Katrarina, "the most recent factor was this idiot getting herself captured by the enemy!"

"It's not my fault they caught me," said Katarina, "they surprised me, that's all. And I told you to stop being mean to me!"

"You deserve it, you moronic trollop!" snapped Nikolai.

"And you are an insensitive, woman-hating jerk!" snapped Katarina, "who probably swings the other way. That would explain a lot."

"I do not swing the other way!" snapped an outraged Nikolai, "to even think that I would be like that, it's preposterous! I am not like that!"

"You could have fooled me," said Katarina in a teasing manner, "for someone who spends so much time in a closet, you really need to work on your wardrobe."

"You stupid, spoiled whore!" spat Nikolai as he aimed his staff at Katarina, "I swear by the darkness, I will see you dead!"

"Not if I kill you first," said Katarina as she cracked her knuckles, "you self-centered, brown-nosing creep!"

"Enough!" spat Maleficent as she used her dark magic to temporarily steal their voices, casting Nikolai and Katarina into silence.

"You both are at fault for this failure," said Maleficent as she glared at the two younger Hankonians, "and you will equally share the punishment." At that both Katarina and Nikolai's faces blanched with horror. They knew what Maleficent did to their comrades when they failed, so they could only imagine in terror what punishment awaited them.

"If I could interject, oh great and terrible Maleficent," said Shankina, "I believe I have a suitable punishment in mind."

"You do?" Marinka asked.

"Indeed," said Shankina as she straightened her glasses, "with the permission of the mistress of all evil, that is."

"You have my attention," said Maleficent as she leaned back onto her dark throne while stroking her pet raven.

"Thank you, great one," said Shankina as she bowed respectfully, "first of all, there are other factors that must be taken into account. Earlier there was an incident where several of my son's comrades were in position to destroy The Keyblade Brats and those wretched Guardians. But due to the scheming that is part of Hakonian nature, those four, Rakel, Reddik, Erika and Konrad, wound up betraying each other. Had they worked together, as intended when they, along with the late Ulrik Darkclaw, all seven of the elite Hakonians who first came to this dark world would still be alive and celebrated as masters of the darkness.

"Alas, now Konrad and Erika are dead, while Reddik and Rakel have betrayed not only their race but their mistress. Great one, I can assure you that the two traitors will be found and dealt with most viciously."

"I've already made arrangements to hunt down the traitors," said Maleficent, "When they are brought back here they will be made examples of for all to see that I do not tolerate intrigue among the ranks."

"This is so, great one," said Shankina.

"Get to the point," said an annoyed Marinka, "what do you intend to do to punish your son and my daughter?"

"The punishment should fit the crime," said Shankina, "since Nikolai and Katarina have such animosity among them, then they need to learn to let that animosity go and cooperate."

"Oh, I get it," said Pete, "you're gonna force em' to work together like Ursula and Hades did."

"Not exactly," said Shankina. She looked at Marinak, "do you remember the arrangement our husbands made when our children were born?"

"The pact that would ensure that a new leader would be born?" Marinka asked, "yes," she smiled wickedly, "yes I do remember that arrangement. Do you think it is time?"

"Now is as good a time as any," said Shankina.

"What are you talking about, mother?" Nikolai asked as the spell restraining his voice and Katarina's wore off.

"What pact?" Katarina asked, "mother, what's going on?"

"Your fathers were the most powerful of their classes among our race," said Marinka, "either one of them could have been leader for our people, but circumstances prevented them from attempting to claim that title, so our people remained without a single leader to fully unite us, as we had been since The Doctor destroyed our empire long ago."

She glared at both Katarina and Nikolai, "both of your fathers had the right to claim leadership and unite our people. For too long our race has been nomads, squabbling among ourselves too much to stay in one place for too long. Your fathers had the chance, but they lost it. You should thank the everlasting darkness that Maleficent was merciful enough to take our people in, if only as a resource.

"But we had hopes of two plans when you two were born. The first was that one of you would rise to the challenge of leading our people.

"You could have lead us to a world of our own, Katarina, or you, Nikolai. But instead, you, my daughter, thought it would be smart to play dumb, to play politics. As for Nikolai, you thought you would earn greatness from the shadows by sucking up to the mistress of all evil, when you could have been the greatest warlock in the universe."

"There were reasons," said Nikolai in an uncomfortable tone, "mother, you know that I have reasons."

"I don't want to hear them!" said an irate Shankina, "you had your chances to lead, to be great on your own, but now you leave us no choice. The first plan has failed, so the second must proceed. Our people will have a leader that will unite us and rebuild our empire, but he or she hasn't been born yet."

"But he or she will be born," said Marinka, "as soon as you two get to it."

"What?" a shocked and disgusted Katarina asked, "you mean…?"

"We arranged that you two would be wedded," said Marinka, "and your firstborn child, be it a he or a she, would be our new leader."

"You want me to marry this idiot and have her beget my child!" an outraged Nikolai asked, "no! I'll never marry her, let alone sleep with her!"

"I'd rather be skinned alive than have his child!" snapped Katarina, "you're crazy, mother, and you too, Shankina!"

"That's future mother-in-law to you," said Shankina, "that is to be your punishment. I cannot think of any worse thing than to be forced into such a situation," she looked at Marinka, "can you?"

"I've got nothing," said Marinka.

"You can't do this to us!" said Katarina, "you can't force two people who don't like each other to marry!"

"Oh Earth there is a phrase that suits this situation," said Shankina, "I think it's called a 'shotgun wedding.'"

"Your knowledge of human metaphors is impressive, mother," said Nikolai in an irate tone, "but you forget, I serve a higher power," he knelt before Maleficent, "great one, it was your mission that I failed, so it is up to you to decide my punishment."

"And mine," said Katarina as she also knelt before Maleficent, "I was naughty, I shouldn't have let myself get captured by the brats, and I probably shouldn't have pretended to be dumb. I'll do better next time after you punish me."

"But also take into account that up until now our record of success has been exemplary," said Nikolai, "We've plunged dozens of worlds into the darkness and recruited thousands of Heartless. Surely that must count for something."

"Your record of success has been exemplary," said Maleficent, "I look forward to future successes, after you've served your punishments."

"Your wisdom is as great as your power," said Nikolai as he and Katarina sighed with relief, "we will take whatever punishment you deem necessary."

"Brown-nosing jerk," muttered Katarina.

"Dumbass bitch," muttered Nikolai.

"You both shall be punished," said Maleficent, "but on this occasion I will defer to your parents judgment," she looked at Shankina and Marinka, "do with them as you wish."

"I thank you, great one," said Shankina as she and Marinka bowed

"You can't be serious!" exclaimed Katarina.

"Deadly serious, daughter," said Marinka, while Sankina used a teleportation spell on Nikolai and Katarina, sending them somewhere else on The World that Never Was.

"How soon until they are forced to become husband and wife?" Maleficent asked.

"Our people regard marriage of this magnitude as a very serious matter," said Shankina, "we have highly complex rituals for the wedding preparations, and then there is the actual ceremony, another complicated ritual in itself. But, with the right connections and preparations, the ceremony can be performed in little under a months…say…four weeks from now on the inside."

"Four weeks sound right to me," said Marinka.

"Then let it be so," said Maleficent, "Nikolai and Katarina shall be married and will be together, until a proper leader for your people is born. Then they will resume their places as agents of the darkness."

"It shall be as you say, great one," said Shankin as she and Marinka bowed and left the room.

"How long you think the two of them will last?" Pete asked, "if Katarina and Nikolai get married, they'll be tryin' to kill each other before the honeymoon is over."

"That may be," said Maleficent, "but if they do conceive a child, I predict that such a child will have dark powers the likes of which this universe has not seen," she smiled with malicious anticipation, "Perhaps he or she may even surpass my power."

"That ain't gonna happen!" said Pete boldly, "you're the real boss around here, everyone knows it. No little punk who doesn't even exist yet is gonna trump you."

"Nothing is forever," said Maelficet, "not even me. Only the darkness is everlasting. There will come a time when I will tire of rule and will seek an heir. Perhaps this child that has yet to be conceived may just be the heir I will desire. But that is for the future," she pointed at the still unconscious Pantyhose Taro, "that one will be dealt with now."

Pete slumped Pantyhose Taro onto the floor, while a lesser Hakonian warlock revived him.

"You have failed me, Pantyhose Taro," said Maleficent to the dark martial artist as he came around, "and for that you shall be punished."

"It's not my fault!" said Pantyhose Taro as he stood up, "it's all that cross-dressing freak's fault, him and his freaky friends! Just give me another shot at it and I'll bring Saotome to you."

"I will have Ranma Saotome," said Maleficent, "but it seems that I'll have to wait. You have proven yourself to be highly unreliable as a servant of the darkness. As you are now, what with your lack of self control, you're little more than a liability. You allowed your anger to interfere with the mission. You said that you would kill Ranma instead of retrieving him."

"So I lost my temper," said Pantyhose Taro in a nonchalant, "it happens all the time. I'll get Saotome for you, alive."

"I said that you will not," said Maleficent, "not as you are now."

"What, are you going to make me take anger management classes?" Pantyhose Taro asked, "if that'll help me get a new name, then I'll do it."

"Oh you will have a new name," said Maleficent, "but you won't receive it the way you think you will."

"What are you talking about?" Pantyhose Taro asked, "you've got Happosai locked up in the dungeons. He'll have to change my name if he wants to keep receiving the perversions that keep him alive."

"I have my own plans for the old man," said Maleficent. "As for you, boy, you are about to learn that I have no tolerance for failure of any kind." She then set her dark magic onto the martial artist from Earth.

"What are you doing to me?" he asked as the darkness began to saturate his body.

"Soon you shall see," said Maleficent as she teleported herself and Pantyhose Taro out onto the balcony. "Your heart, already deep in the darkness, has been further cast downward. It's only a matter of time before you become a Heartless and a Nobody, for someone such as you would surely have a strong will. You will serve me as both Heartless and Nobody, and you will serve without failure!"

"You bitch!" spat Pantyhose Taro, "I'll kill you for this!" he then screamed in agony as his heart was completely consumed by the darkness. A large mass of dark energy escaped from his body and hovered several yards in the air above, and in the center of that dark energy mass was a dark purple crystal heart

Pantyhose Taro's body then changed. His hair turned completely white, while his face took on a more angular tone and his eyes turned pale orange. His clothes changed to that of a green and purple martial artist outfit.

"You are no longer Pantyhose Taro," said Maleficent as she summoned a large mirror, "you are no longer even a human being, but a Nobody," the white ring on her staff flashed, "and you will obey me."

The Nobody that was Pantyhose Taro saw his reflection, "no, you…you can't do this to me."

"I already have," said Maleficent, "you are already mine, Xorat. That is your name from now on; Xorat."

"Xorat," said the Nobody as the dark magic of the control ring on Maleficent's staff worked its mojo on him, "yes, yes. I am Xorat," he faced Maleficent, "what do you wish of me?"

"As of now, nothing yet," said Maleficent, "I will have need of you soon enough. For now, go to the castle's training rooms. There you are to perfect your abilities, for you shall soon need them."

"I obey," said the Nobody, Xorat. He bowed and went back inside.

Maleficent then looked up and saw that the mass of dark energy around the crystal heart had condensed into the chimera creature that Pantyhose Taro became whenever he touched cold water.

The creature flew down to the balcony and knelt before Maleficent.

"Soon I will have a purpose for you, my magnificent monster," said Maleficent as she touched the creature's head, "my Mark 2 Chimericon." She called for several mid-level Hakonians who had the role of scientists, "take this lovely abomination to the laboratories and…improve it."

"It shall be done, great one," said one of the Hakonian scientists. They lead the creature back inside.

"Now, my pet," said Maleficent to her raven, "if only we could figure out who has been sending those horrible messages. I swear that when I learn the identity of this twisted prankster, he or she will suffer the likes of which that will be legendary, even in hell."

Just then the whole castle shook from an explosion that originated from the lower levels.

"Now what?" Maleficent demanded.

Pete and several goblin guards rushed out onto the balcony, "uh…we got trouble!" shouted Pete, "the old pervert, he just escaped!"

"What!" exclaimed Maleficent. She teleported down to the dungeons and saw a large hole in the wall that lead outside. She then saw the empty cage that held Happosai. Inside the cage was a large sign that had the familiar three words…

**L. Lawlett Lives**

"Who is responsible for this travesty!" shouted Maleficent as dark lightning crackled from her staff, "heads will roll for this fiasco!"

Pete nervously sweated, fearing for his life. But then one of the lesser Hakonians, one assigned to castle security, ran up to Pete and handed him several photographs. Pete looked at the photos and grinned eagerly.

"You want to know who sprung the old man?" Pete asked in a swaggering manner, "the one who's been sendin' you those messages that's been drivin' you up the wall?"

"Tell me!" snapped Maleficent, "or I'll show you just how many ways you can skin a cat!"

"It was that other old man!" said Pete as he nervously handed the photos to Maleficent, "the guy who messed up that Kingdom Hearts moon that Xemnes made. The guy is that Ansem guy!"

"Ansem the Wise?" Maleficent asked in a confused tone as she looked at the photos. Sure enough, the first one showed Ansem talking to Happosai, who was at the time still in the cage. The next picture showed Happosai and Ansem shaking hands through the bars of the cage.

The third picture showed Ansem opening the cage and the last photo showed Happosai outside of the cage, while Ansem planted the message on the wall.

"That old geezer broke into the closet where they kept his dirty magazines," said Pete, "he got some of his mojo back, then he blew away a lot of Heartless. Then some Hakonians tried to stop him. He then bashed them heads in and molested the girl Hakonians, and that really recharged his mojo. Then the old guy, I don't know where he got that oversized firecracker, but he blew a hole in the wall and he and the other old guy, they got away."

"Well don't just stand there looking like the imbecile you are!" said Maleficent, "send a patrol after them! I want them both brought back alive!"

Pete hastily saluted then faced the large group of lesser Hakonians that had gathered, "you heard the boss lady! Go after them!" the lesser Hakonians saluted then went to work.

* * *

"Where you got that oversized cherry bomb, I will never know," said Ansem the Wise as he and Happosai made their way through the streets of the dark city towards the portal that would take them to the simulated Twilight Town, and then from there to the real Twilight Town.

"It's an easy technique," said Happosai, "using ki energy to create subspace pockets that can be used to store anything. Those goons of Maleficent could search me inside and out over and over, but they'll never find all of my stuff."

"I fear to wonder what else you have hidden up your sleeves," said Ansem.

"You'd be surprised," said Happosai. They then reached the portal and were about to go through, but Ansem stopped Happosai

"There's something we need to do first before we finally take our leave of this terrible place," said Ansem, "or rather, someone we need to speak to."

"Who could you possibly want to talk to on this messed up world?" Happosai asked.

"That would be me," said a female voice. From the shadows emerged a girl in her late teens with short light blue hair and blue eyes. She wore a black, form fitting shoulder less top with white, wide sleeves that started below the shoulder and fingerless gloves on her hands. She also wore black stockings and silver-colored shoes. Around her waist was a white cloth belt that had two longer cloths down her sides. On the elbows of her sleeves were metal devices.

"You've got him out," said the girl to Ansem as she gave an annoyed look towards Happosai, who, in his own perverted mind, took that as an invitation to his kind of entertainment.

"Oh sweeto!" exclaimed Happosai as he, with hearts in his yes, instinctively leapt at the girl and tried to latch onto her prominent bosom. But the girl merely raised her hand and projected a shield that blocked the old pervert. He bounced off of the shield and landed hard on his rump.

"What the hell!" exclaimed Happosai angrily as he got back up, "can't an old man have any fun anymore?"

"Not when it comes to molesting women," said the girl in an irate tone. She glared at Ansem, "are you sure that this is the one Ryuzakiwants?"

"I heard the instructions myself," said Ansem, "I'm sorry, my dear friend, but Happosai gets his pass to freedom."

"If he's as big a pain in the ass as I've heard," said the girl, "then the realms are better off without him."

"I didn't ask to come to this messed up universe," said Happosai, "I was kidnapped by Maleficent's goons. And just who the hell are you anyway? And how'd you block me like that? I haven't seen anything like that before, except from that Sora kid."

"For your information?" the girl said, "my name is Aqua, and like Sora and his friends, I have certain powers."

"You're another Keyblade Wielder?" Happosai asked.

"I earned my Mark of Mastery," said Aqua, "I am a true Keyblade Master."

"Well now," said an impressed Happosai, "you don't see too many of those nowadays. I happen to be the creator of the Anything Goes style of martial arts. We should totally date."

"Sorry," said Aqua, "I'm not into the whole May-December relationship thing."

"It's your loss, sweet pie," said Happosai, "so, you're leaving this rotten world with us?"

"Aqua isn't coming with us," said Ansem. He then looked at her, "unless you've changed your mind since we last spoke."

"I can't leave yet," said Aqua in a regretful manner, "I want to. You have no idea how much I want to leave this world of darkness and walk in the light again. But there are still some things I have to finish first, one of which is to make sure that Maleficent pays for what she's done."

"We've already undermined her sanity," said Ansem, "it's only a matter of time before she becomes so irrational that anyone can destroy her."

"But that could take years," said Aqua, "from what you've told me, Sora and his friends are nowhere near ready to take on Maleficent. Like you said, her sanity has begun to crumble, but that can make things worse. And then there are those demons that have been seen in the realms; what do they have to do with all that's been going on?

"No, I have to stay here until I have the answers I seek, as well as make sure that Maleficent gets what she deserves. She has to pay for what she put Terra and Ven through."

"I understand your feelings," said Ansem, "the light knows you've earned the right to claim justice, but be careful that your desires do not become obsessions. I nearly destroyed myself with my obsessions with the darkness.

"And then of course, there were my apprentices who became Organization XIII because of their own obsessions with the darkness, especially young Xehanort, whom you knew as someone else."

"Terra," said Aqua in a tone full of heartache, "if only I could have gotten to him sooner, I could have stopped Master Xehanort from possessing him." She sighed with remorse, but then adopted an expression of seriousness, "but what's done is done. If anyone can undo the evil that Master Xehanort did and save Terra from the darkness, it's Sora.

"And Sora can also wake up Ven, who's still sleeping in that chamber I left him in that castle that appeared where our home was, Castle Oblivion, that's what it's called now, right?"

"True," said Ansem, "so much depends on Sora. There will come a time in the near future when Sora will have to make a difficult choice, a choice that could save all that exists in the light, or plunge everything into eternal darkness. He will be forced to choose between what he knows is right in his mind and what he knows is right in his heart. The question is, will he be able to make the right choice, or the easy choice?"

"I don't think anyone of us can know the answer to that," said Aqua, "all we can do is carry on and hope for the best."

"Then I hope that you will soon have the answers that you seek," said Ansem, "and that you will finally be able to leave the darkness and walk in the light again."

"I hope so," said Aqua. She then tensed, as if sensing something, "they know you've escaped by now. They'll search the city, you and the old one need to go, now!"

"But what about you?" Happosai asked, "where will you go?"

"I've stayed alive in this dark realm for over ten years," said Aqua, "apparently, time has no meaning in this world that shouldn't even exist, so I can stay alive and safe for a bit longer. The Organization couldn't find me, and Maleficent's minions haven't found me either, so I'll be right," she looked at Ansem, "take care, Ansem the Wise." With that she vanished into the shadows.

"Take care," said Ansem, "Master Aqua."

"That really was strange," said Happosai, "but, I'm hundreds of years old, so I've seen more than my fair share of strangeness."

"There's always more strangeness to experience," said Ansem, "I hope you're ready to see more."

"I'm always ready," said Happosai, "wait, before we go through this portal thing, I just want to know one thing."

"Why did I help you escape?" Ansem asked for him, "I did it because my benefactor, who wishes to remain anonymous for now, believes that you can be a valuable ally in the fight against the darkness. He also believes that your escape will further unhinge Maleficent's already unstable sanity."

"Oh, I'll drive her crazy alright," said Happosai as he grinned eagerly, "give me the chance and I'll show her what a real reign of terror can be like. But that's not the only reasons you busted me out. You've got personal reasons."

"True," said Ansem, "I've heard of your exploits on Earth, some more shocking than others, while some are downright evil. Yet I believe that there is good in you, Happosai of the Anything Goes style. I believe that there is light in that heart of yours."

"I did have light in me," said Happosai in a reminiscing tone, "my nickname happens to be Happy," he sighed, "I'm hundreds of years old, and I've done a lot of naughty things in those years, most of which I wish I could take back.

"But one thing I would do anything to take back was getting involved with Maleficent in the first place. I remember now how it all happened. I was a young man once, very young, and very much in love with a young Amazon."

"The current Amazon Matriarch," said Ansem, "Cologne."

"Well, looks who's done his homework," said Happosai, "yes, I loved Cologne, but she only saw me as a friend. The fact that I was a pervert even as a teenager only drove her heart further away from me.

"But then this weird sorceress shows up and says that she could make Cologne fall in love with me if I would do her a favor. I was desperate enough to say yes. But then I found out that the favor involved spreading darkness across the world, so I said no and ran for it. Maleficent chased after me, but I ran until she grew tired of chasing. I later went back to the Amazon village and tried to explain things to Cologne, but she found out what I nearly did, and so did the village elders. They banished me from the village under pain of death, not to mention that they had other reasons to get rid of me, which I won't talk about right now. To make a long story short, I left and didn't see Cologne again for well over 200 years. By then we were both so old we didn't recognize each other."

He sighed again and looked up at Ansem, "your benefactor thinks I can help defeat the darkness. I'll do it, but I want a few things understood between me and him, whoever he is.

"First of all, don't expect me to change who I am. I've been a pervert for far too long to change any time soon. Second, I fight my own way with my own plans. I'll go after Heartless and those other things, Nobodies, and those Hakonian bastards if I run into them, but I do it when I want to."

"Fair enough," said Ansem, "but you must understand that eventually you will run into those you've had encounters with before on Earth."

"Ranma and his friends," said Happosai, "well," he crossed his arms in a disgruntled manner, "I won't start anything with them. Any trouble gets started, it'll be their doing."

"Again, fair," said Ansem.

Just then the sound of braying canine Heartless could be heard. "They'll catch up with us soon," said Ansem, "we should go."

"Then let's get out of here," said Happosai, "this place makes me sick." With that they jumped through the portal and into the corridor of swirling colors, emerging in the digital computer room with the computer consul that Roxas smashed.

"What happened here?" Happosai asked.

"It's a long story," said Ansem, "to summarize, I was forced to ruin a young man's summer vacation."

"That's all?" Happosai asked, "that's nothing to the terrible things I did."

Ansem then pointed at the hovering ball of light in one of the corners, "this will take us to our true destination," he said.

"Then let's get it over with," said Happosai. With that the two of them walked into the portal and emerged in the real computer room. Waiting for them was a man in his mid twenties wearing a black suit and tie with a gray overcoat. He had black hair and a black handlebar moustache.

"Welcome back to the Realms of Light, Ansem the Wise," said the man, "judging from your companion, your final mission in New Hollow Bastion was a success."

"A complete success," said Ansem, "Happosai of the Anything Goes Style, this is my benefactor, whom wishes to be called Young Watari."

"Is there an Old Watari?" Happosai asked.

"There was," said Young Watari, "long ago. He died in the service of justice while working for the one man who meant more than a son to him, L. Lawlett. And like my predecessor, I now work for L. Lawlett, or just L, but his friends can call him Ryuzaki"

"Just who is L?" Happosai asked, "and why is Maleficent so hung up about him?" he smiled wickedly, "he didn't happen to do anything naughty, did he?"

"L is a great man!" said an irate Young Watari, "a brilliant man who exists in multiple universes. On one world he is a scientist dedicated to bettering humanity. In another he is a doctor sworn to save lives. In one world, he was a master detective who gave his life trying to solve the case of a serial murderer who killed criminals via supernatural means.

"This version of L is another detective who swore an oath to bring Maleficent to justice. He, like the other detective L, also known as Ryuzaki to his friends, had a Watari working with him. The L of this universe had to let the universe, and Maleficent, believe he was dead when he battled Maleficent several years ago. Old Watari died saving his life, and now the duty of helping L falls to me."

"I see," said Happosai. He crossed his arms, "but what does L want with me?"

"L wants you to use all your powers and abilities to oppose Maleficent and her minions," said Young Watari, "be they Heartless, Nobody, Hakonian, demon or other."

"Then I'll do it," said Happosai, "but I do it my way."

"Fair enough," said Young Watari as he held out his hand, which Happosai shook.

Young Watari then took out a laptop computer, turned it on and activated a program. A white screen with a large black **L** appeared.

"It's done, sir," said Young Watari to the computer, "Ansem has returned with the man you requested."

"That's great, Watari," said a digitally altered voice from the computer, "and the last message has been delivered by Ansem?"

"I placed the sign right were Maleficent could see it," said Ansem, "as you asked, I told Aqua that she could come with us, but she refused."

"That can't be helped," said the voice, L, "She has her reasons to stay in the dark, so all we can do for her is give her time, until the right person comes along and shows her way back to the light. But that's for later; now we can move onto the next phase of the plan. Watari…you know what to do."

"Yes, L," said Young Watari. He then went to the computer consul and entered a command that closed the white sphere portal, "I've just saved and closed the simulated Twilight Town program. We can access it any time we wish, but Maleficent and her minions can never use it, ever."

"And any of us can access and enter the simulation," said Ansem, "I owe it to Roxas. He deserves the chance to visit his digital friends again."

"At the same time," said Young Watari as he entered another command at the main computer, "I've activated a force field around the mansion. No dark creature, be it Heartless, Nobody or other, can enter the house and access its secrets."

"That's great and all," said Happosai, "but what's the next phase of the plan? And what is the plan anyway?"

"It all depends on when Sora and his friends head out into the worlds again," said L, "and from there, how soon they reach Radiant Garden in time to meet some new allies that will be of great help to them. Then the real plan can go to action."

* * *

Back in New Hollow Bastion, Pete walked down the castle corridors towards the armory. He intended to pick out the biggest club he could find, but someone called out to him from behind a corner.

"Pete!" said a whispering voice, "over here!"

Pete turned around and saw Reddik and Rakel standing there. Both of them had several bags packed.

"What are you two guys doin' here!" Pete asked in a frantic and hushed tone, "dontcha know that Maleficent's gonna slowly rip you to pieces if she finds you!"

"Which is why we had to be careful when we came back for our stuff," said Reddik. He then vanished the luggage, "and to say goodbye."

"We Hakonians are known for our Villainy," said Rakel, "but we also value true friendship. Pete, you've been a true friend to us, and we will never forget you."

"Uh…gee, thanks," said a slightly confused Pete, "I won't forget you crazy kooks either. Now you got to get out of here before security sees you."

"I had a virus spell prepared for the security systems for an occasion such as this," said Reddik.

"And I saturated the corridors for several meters from here with a compulsion spell to go somewhere else," said Rakel, "we won't be disturbed until we're done talking."

"We want to ask you to come with us, Pete," said Reddik, "Rakel and I are heading out on our own, but we decided that if you want to, you're more than welcome."

"We like you, Pete," said Rakel, "for a Villain, you're okay. You helped me when we were chasing after The Keyblade Brats."

"Which you did because I asked you to," said Reddik, "you did me a favor, now we want to do you a favor."

"Wow," said Pete, "that…you guys really like me?"

"That's what we just said," said Reddik."

"And you want me to go with you," said Pete, "I'd like to, but I can't leave! Maleficent will turn me inside out and feed me to the goblins!"

"Which is why you should leave!" said Rakel, "while we were traveling you told me how horrible she treats you. Sure, you've got your faults, but at least you don't try to cover them up like Konrad and Erika did, may they rest in damnation forever.

"And here's another reason to leave. You told me that you have a family; a wife, a son and a little girl. We can come back for them and you all can go somewhere safe. You think your children have a future as slaves to Maleficent?"

"Least they'll have a future," said Pete, "if I leave they'll be ripped apart, burned, dumped in acid, skinned and worn like fur coats, if they're lucky, in that order. I can't abandon the wife and the kids, the wife would kill me first."

"There's no point in arguing with him," said Reddik, "he's decided."

"Then we're decided as well," said Rakel, "alright, Pete, we'll go without you. But if you change your mind, just send a letter through the Moogles, they'll know how to find us. If we can, we'll get your family out as well, but right now it has to be Reddik and me."

"Why you doing this?" Pete asked, "why are you leaving?"

"I guess it's because we're freaks among Villains," said Reddik, "Rakel and I are in love, and love among Hakonians highly frowned upon. Lust is okay, so is mating for procreation and pleasure, but not love."

"So we're heading out for the unknown," said Rakel, "the two of us against the universe, well, three actually."

Just then the demon familiar Kichot scurried up the corridors to them, "Mistress Rakel!" the little demon said, "I knew you wouldn't abandon me!"

"I made a pact with you when I took you on as my familiar," said Rakel as she picked up Kichot and placed him on her shoulder, "we're stuck together."

"This is goodbye, Pete," said Reddik, "until our next meeting."

"Yeah, good luck you guys," said Pete.

"We don't believe in luck," said Rakel. With that she, Reddik and Kichot teleported out, leaving a still slightly confused Pete. He scratched his head, then shrugged his shoulders and went back towards the armory as if nothing happened.

* * *

…Disney Castle…

"Oh, Naminé," said Sora, "I can't believe I forgot. There's something I've been meaning to ask you."

"What is it, Sora?" Naminé asked.

"When I woke up from being asleep for a year," said Sora, "Jiminys'

Journal was blank except for two words; 'Thank Naminé.' But for what?"

At that Naminé smiled, but her smile was half angry, "for fixing your memories, of course!"

"Organization XIII had her mess with your memories so that you would gather hearts for Xemnes," said Roxas, "I should know, I had your memories in my head for a while."

"Oh," said Sora in a deflated tone, "oh, right," he then looked at Naminé, "than you, Naminé, thank you so much for fixing my brain."

"And our brains as well," said Goofy, "we were sleeping for a year also."

"Wish your brain could be fixed, ya big palooka," said Donald.

"Well I'm just glad you finally remembered," said Naminé, "you lazy bum."

"That's what I call him," said Kairi.

"But we're the same in many ways," said Naminé.

"True," said Kairi.

"I just heard from Cid," said King Mickey, "he'll be here with the new Gummy ship in a few minutes."

"That's great," said Sora, "first stop has to be Neverland. I owe Tink a visit."

"Then we'll go to Atlantica," said Kairi, "I want to give being a mermaid another try."

"Not me," said Riku, "I like being a biped, thank you very much."

"I don't know much about mermaids," said Tess, "but from what I heard about them, I don't want to be one. No thanks."

"I'm starting to think I may want to give having a tail a try," said Aiden.

"Well then you're going to love The Pride Lands," said Sora.

"Sora," said Ranma, "I…I talked with Sara, and she and I both agree that, if it's okay with you guys, I can go with her to her world for a while."

"We figure that maybe The Moochick would know something about how to cure Ranma's curse," said Sara, "and maybe Ranma can help with whatever trouble is coming to Dream Valley. If it's as big a trouble as I hope it isn't, then my friends and I are going to need all the help we can get."

"Absolutely it's okay that Ranma can go with you," said a smiling Kairi, "it'll be good for both of you to work together." At that Sora, Riku and Aiden nodded in agreement.

"You sure it's okay that I leave?" Ranma asked, "that I leave the team?"

"Well, you really weren't a full member of the team anyway," said Riku, "just a friend who wanted to help, and you did, a lot."

"But now you're needed elsewhere," said Sora.

"Think of this as part of your own journey," said Aiden.

"My own journey," said Ranma as he smiled hopefully, "yeah."

"Just so long as you remember to come back," said Riku, "we never did see which of us is the strongest."

"I'll be back in time for the next tournament," said Ranma as he and Riku shook on that promise, "believe it."

"Now you sound like Naruto," said Sora. At that he, Riku and Kairi laughed.

"You know," said a slightly annoyed Aiden, "one of these days you're going to have to take me to all these places and meet all these people you met before you met me."

"Same here," said Ranma.

"We'll get to all of it eventually," said Sora.

Everyone then said goodbye to Ranma and Sara. She then held up the heart-shaped locket and opened it. From the locket emerged a stream of rainbow-colored magic, The Rainbow of Light. It swirled around the room for a few seconds while Sara closed her eyes and focused her own magic.

The Rainbow of Light then began to form a circle in front of Sara. Faster and faster the rainbow circle spun until it flashed and became a large rainbow-colored portal.

"That's the way I came from Dream Valley," said Sara. She then looked at Ranma, "I hope you've got a good memory for names, because there are dozens of Little Ponies I want to introduce you to."

"I'm pretty good at remembering names," said Ranma.

"Good," said a smiling Sara, "'cause I also want you to meet all the Baby Ponies, the Sea Ponies, the Flutter Ponies, and let's not forget The Bushwoolies."

"Bushwoolies?" Ranma asked as he and Sara walked through the portal, which vanished after them.

"What are Bushwoolies?" Aiden asked, "we didn't see them during our visit to Dream Valley."

"I'm sure we'll meet them the next time we visit Dream Valley," said Sora, "but first thing's first. As soon as Cid gets here with the new Gummy Ship, we'll go to Neverland."

"If Cid ever get's here," said Aiden.

Just then the sound of a Gummy ship landing in the Gummy Hanger could be heard.

"That would be my friend Cid," said a grinning Sora, "let's go!" With that he ran for the Gummy Hanger.

"Is this normal?" Tess asked Riku, while Kairi, Donald, Goofy and Aiden ran after Sora.

"Pretty much," said Riku as they hurried after the others, "any regrets?"

"If you're asking if I wished I had stayed in Meridian as a vengeance-driven maniac," said Tess, "that I had never met you crazy people, then no," she smiled, "I have no regrets. Right now I'm the happiest I've ever been in a long time, and I like it."

"I'm glad," said Riku.

**The end of Volume 8.**

And that's it, boys and girls, my Kingdom Hearts/W.I.T.C.H. crossover! I'll do another W.I.T.C.H. fic someday when I get inspired, and I'll eventually do a My Little Pony/Ranma crossover that'll cover the adventures and eventual romantic relationship between Ranma and Sara.

As for Sora and his friends, little do they know that their next adventure will be so out of this world it'll have to take place in deep space. Next time will cross with one of the best science fiction anime ever, Space Battleship Yamato.

So stay tuned for **Beyond the Door to Light Volume 9: The Yamato Encounter**.

See you then!


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